Trojans
by JR Salazar
Summary: After so many cases, three of Japan's most celebrated couples are given one final assignment before their wedding day: protecting four special students at a high school in Kyoto Prefecture. But it's not as easy as one would think. A Sound! Euphonium x Detective Conan x Magic Kaito fic, ShinRan, KazuHei, Kaitoko, KumiRei. R x R. Reviews are moderated.
1. Take It Off, Take It In

**Trojans**

 **By Jo-Ryan Salazar**

 **Chapter 1:**

 **Take It Off, Take It In**

* * *

This was supposed to be the start of the rest of their lives for three wonderful couples, three beautiful couples, three celebrated couples, six of Japan's finest heroes in word, might and deed. But sometimes, truth be told, things don't always go to plan, and the jobs of young adults with beautiful brilliant minds and hearts purer than spring water are never really done until the gates of heaven open for them to walk through and the angels up above sing of their glories, of their praises, of the tales and tribulations and triumphs that defined their lives.

For Shinichi Kudou and Ran Mouri, they had gone through so much, especially Shinichi, who thought he was able to hide his identity by being Conan Edogawa. But once it was found out that Ran knew subconsciously of his existence and that she would not hold it against him because it was unbecoming of her—and she confided these words to him in a random night of sweet talk in the bed they shared together—the legend of Conan Edogawa remained but the existence ceased to exist now that the antidote for the poison APTX 4869 was ingested and the poison itself ceased production.

As for Kaito Kuroba and Aoko Nakamori, their relationship was a more comedic one but as things mellowed out, culminating with the downfall of the Black Organization and Snake, as well as the destruction of the Pandora Jewel, the Kaitou Kid name, which also gained fame and notoriety through his father Toichi, would also be laid to rest, along with his signature outfit, top hat and monocle, all buried at his gravesite that he would visit every now and then. Like Ran, Aoko had a feeling that the person that she hated the most was actually the one she loved the most and when she came to terms and she knew the story behind his intentions and his motives, she swore to clear his name and change the opinion of her father, Inspector Ginzo Nakamori, who was as obstinate as Ran's father, Kogoro Mouri, Ginzo's primary contemporary and peer.

After university, Kaito, as an expert illusionist and magician, wished to live a life entertaining people while making them think about living life to the fullest and never giving up on their dreams. Even Shinichi, who Kaito considered to be a peer, an ally and even a brother in arms, considered Kaito to be a noble person that one would dislike at first but would make you change your mind when you know him better beyond his showmanship.

Heiji Hattori, a proud Osakan along with his significant other Kazuha Toyama, was Shinichi's closest ally, brother in arm and wingman. As Shinichi was slightly older than him, later on he would sometimes call Shinichi "Kudou-aniki" because it rolled off his tongue and was a clear indication that he did treat him like a brother because Shinichi reciprocated the closeness. It was a competitive rivalry, but a friendly, sporting one between Heiji and Kazuha and Shinichi and Ran to solve more cases in a West vs. East showdown. He also loved the Hanshin Tigers and longed for the day they would finally win the Japan Series and become, once again, the greatest professional baseball team the country ever had. No one could ever be bored with Heiji, he knew how to crack jokes and really entertain his peers, at the expend of receiving his comeuppance from Kazuha if it got excessive for her own liking.

They were three couples united by the red string of fate that stretched from the Kanto plains to the heart of the Kansai. And yet, this string would face a test to see if it would stay together of it would snap by the emotions of love, heartache and heartbreak that also united all six of them. What would await these six this time. Only Inspector Nakamori and Detective Mouri knew, and they would tell them the day after they all graduated from senior high school at the same time. This was their destiny.

* * *

"Ughhhhh..." Shinichi groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. Half-lidded, he noticed he was naked, on top of an also-naked Ran, fondling her breasts and resting on her cleavage like a pillow, making noises of a motorboat going upstream without a paddle. Ran was also snoring, a nose bubble on her head and did not mind being touched this way, even sighing with a laugh subconsciously. Everything they did in bed was in the name of love and intimacy because they were now together for good, and with Ran by his side, Shinichi could never be lonely at all. He wasn't lonely when he was in his Conan form; Ran was preparing to be a mother and a housewife. She knew things he couldn't deduce, some things. And she knew that Shinichi liked pleasuring her as they slept. It was okay with her, it made her feel comfortable as well.

"Mmmmm, Shinichi," Ran whispered, an eye closed and her hair messy but her horn lick intact, save for a few stray strands, "Good morning, dear."

"I had an amazing dream," he whispered, caressing Ran's ass. "I dreamt that I was in your body and you were in mine's and no one noticed the difference because you and I think and act the same in a lot of ways."

"Funny, I had a similar dream, too. Normally, I would be getting upset if you saw my underwear in the open but when you're in my body, you actually like it when people see it. Hey, did you wish you were a woman, Shinichi?"

"If I genderswapped, I'd be a reverse trap you'd call me Shouko and I would be instead called Kanon rather than Conan. What do you think?" he whispered with a sheepish grin. "Would that satisfy you to the very least?"

Ran pouted and snuggled, allowing her breasts to press on to Shinichi. "Stop saying such things and giving me ideas, I'm not bi, you know! Mou!"

"From now on, Uncle Kogoro, I, Shinichi Kudou, will stop saying such lewd things to your daughter and my wife because she might disown me and turn me into a NEET for the rest of my life," he deadpanned through his empty eyes to an invisible camera.

"And stop digging your own grave, jeez!" Ran said, getting up and putting on some lacy white underwear and a T-shirt over it. "I'm known you since we were babies and for you to fall into the depths of the hopeless destitute after all we've been through is too much for my heart to bear!"

"I was only kidding, Ran, I mean, you know how long you've know me; I just like to, you know, engage in intimate banter like this. You know you like it."

Ran smiled and nodded. He knew. No one else did. That's how much they loved each other. "I'll go downstairs and make breakfast."

Shinichi got up, put on some briefs, shorts and a T-shirt and hugged Ran as she was about to leave the room. "You want me to help?" he whispered in her ear, nibbling it a little.

"Of course you can, Shinichi, just don't make a mess, o-kay?"

"A-O-K, Ran-chan!'

"Ohohohohoho..."

As the two of them proceeded to team up to cook a massive spread downstairs, something came in Shinichi's head. "Ah, that reminds me."

"Hmmm?"

"Uncle Kogoro wants to meet us, Kaito, Aoko, Heiji and Kazuha at Shibuya Station at 3 p.m. today for something important."

"You know what it is?"

"I got it on my text," he said as the two of them ate, "but Uncle didn't even give me the details, except that Inspector Nakamori will also be there to debrief. By the way, and I wanted to say this and get this off my chest, Ran...how does it feel to have Aoko as a sister, huh?"

"I have two soul sisters: Kazuha-chan and Aoko-chan, and Aoko-chan thinks like me so much that she is my protege, but Aoko calls me neesama," Ran said, snacking on some eggs. "She's younger than me by just a little bit but I don't know. I like it, but it's a bit embarrassing for Aoko-chan to want to call me that."

"She looks up to you though. Perhaps you can come up with ways to help Aoko put Kaito in his place, the same you do with me, what do you think?"

"Got it. When it comes to becoming a good housewife, partner and hopefully mother, I'll teach Aoko-chan everything she needs to know."

"I'll drink to that. I think I'll go ahead and call Kaito in a bit, I bet's he's still sleeping and thinking of lewd thoughts of his bae..."

* * *

"Ka-i-to! Wake up, it's morning!" Aoko said, dressed in underwear and a naked apron at the Kuroba combine.

"Stop it with your lies at this time of day, Aoko, I know the clock from the back of my head, it's still night," he whispered in an Alec Baldwin tone.

"No you don't, I'm holding the clock in my hand, in front of your face. Open your eyes. OPEN THEM!" Aoko roared.

"Uggh ohhhh hoh hoh hooooh," groaned Kaito sheepishly like a girl. His were half-lidded...until he saw the clock, at which his eyes shot open and his pupils dilated. "Son of a bitch...it's 6 a.m.!? Fuck me..."

Aoko pulled down the blanket, an eye closed with a naughty smile to her face. "Awake now, Kaito?" she whispered.

"My dear Aoko, you look so cute and wonderful this morning," Kaito said in a manly change of voice and attitude, getting up and stretching. "I always wanted you waking me up naked-apron style."

"Um, hello, Kaito, I'm wearing them, so you better not have any in-the-gutter ideas this early in the morning, okay?" She was referring to her striped blue bra and panties, sticking her tongue out with one eye closed, teasing him.

"Good choice, though. You know, I bought those last week at your request, remember?"

"I like stripes." Aoko blushed. "Anyway, time to eat breakfast. You have no more heists to do, which means you get to spend more time with me AND we are attending the same university together as well as the same classes, so you are not going to leave my side, got it?"

Kaito graced his hands on her lips as they kissed. "I wouldn't dare leave your side, Aoko, especially if I could pleasure your goddess-like sides like this. But I can do more. Like this."

"Ahhhhh, Kaito, put me down, jeez!' cried Aoko as she was being carried like a princess. Eventually after fidgeting a little, she held on to him. "I'm not fat am I? You better not tell me I'm fat or I'll call you Bakaito again!"

"No one in this world would call the woman of my salvation such things, not even myself, because that is an insult to the spirit of feminity and reeks of impudent, chauvinist sexism. You might as well chain me to a dance pole and let me suffer the lashes of your tender, tender love," Kaito said as they went down the stairs before placing her in the kitchen so that she could cook. "Watch your step..."

"Jeez, Kaito, I know you want to be a gentleman but tone it down when you're with me; we're not married yet," Aoko said, cooking. "God...even though..." A deep blush. "...we're close enough that we might as well be."

"Your thoughts echo mine's, Aoko," Kaito said, assisting by tossing a few hash browns into the fryer. "Mmmm. There are many couples who choose to have children out of wedlock but it's because they can afford it as legal guardians. Let 'em do what they want. That's according to anecdotes from my new brother."

"Shinichi, huh?"

"It was fun playing those games with him. But once I found out that our enemy was indeed shared, and all the pieces were put together...the rest is history."

"Now you can settle down and live a quieter life studying law and politics with me," Aoko said. "Isn't that...eh?" Kaito went over to Aoko, embraced her and slipped a hand under her panties, fingering her flower and watching it splash its sweet nectar onto the tile floor. "Ahhhhhhhhh," she moaned, relishing his touch on her delicate parts. "Haaaah, god...Kaito, really, you couldn't wait at all to pleasure me, could you?"

"Love can't wait. Never is too late. My hunger to crave pleasure and lust can never be satisfied because of who I am. I'm a man, I'm a lad, and I used to be Kaitou Kid before I retired the name to pay respect to my oyaji, my father, who can finally rest in peace, knowing that his death was not in vain. So..." He stroked Aoko's flower even more, triggering more orgamic gesticulations and moisture seeping out as she cooked. "In spirit, he gave me my blessings to make you mine to love and protect. You wouldn't want it any other way, would you? You. Want. This."

Aoko blushed, piuting. "Kaito, you're such a naughty boy, can you at least let us finish cooking and eating breakfast first before we make ourselves comfortable again? It's not like we don't have anything to do today until tomorrow, when Sodai comes calling..."

"As you wish, my lady." In gentlemanly fashion, Kaito washed his hands before going to the table to check on some news from his smartphone. "Hmmm, seems the women are getting set to invade Canada?"

"Who?" Aoko asked, bringing breakfast to the table.

"The women's soccer team. If I recall, Shinichi loves soccer because he plays as a striker recreationally. Women's game is more tactical though. And Nadeshiko Japan...is Aoko's unbound Yamato maiden spirit in the form of the best soccer team in the world!"

"Kaito, that's enough, stop praising me too much!" she said, lightly slapping him on the shoulder. "Eat up!"

A few bites, followed by suggestive lip smacking. "Mmmm, these sausages and eggs taste straight out of heaven, as if it was cooked by an angel that heaven must be missing. With all due respect to the Tavares brothers."

"Oh Kaito..." Aoko sighed, smiling, realizing that Kaito wouldn't stop praising her angelic features more. "At this rate, you're gonna make us forget what we need to go and we have to go back to the bed again...oh Kaito, Kaito, Kaito...ahhhhh..."

His smartphone rang. "Ah, it's him." Kaito answered. "Yo, Detective! Good morning!"

"D...Detective? Kudou-kun!"

"Morning. Eheheh, Kaito, you and Aoko seem to be in good spirits this early," Shinichi said.

"Tee hee!" Aoko giggled. "Morning, Ku-do-u-kun!"

"She's feeling it, I'm feeling it, we're feeling it, It's a great day to be alive because everyone is the main character of their own life. Viva life," Kaito said.

"Couldn't have said it better myself. Hey, are you free today?"

"As a bird, yes?"

"Good. Because at 3 p.m., you and Aoko need to meet me, Ran, Heiji and Kazuha at Shibuya Police Station. Uncle Kogoro and Inspector Nakamori will be there to tell us something important."

"Wait a minute," said Aoko, taking the phone. "Dad's gonna be there? He never told me that. This is a surprise."

"I don't think he wants to spoil anything, Aoko, he wanted us to come."

"Detective, how about this: we'll arrive exactly five minutes before the meeting begins. Which probably means we'll be ahead of you. And for good reason," Kaito said.

"I know. Do what you want, the rest of us will elect to be punctual."

"You got it, boss! We'll see you there, brother! Bye!"

"See you." And he hung up.

"So what else are we going to do in our spare time before the meeting?" Aoko whispered, caressing Kaito as she snuggled next to him.

"Well," he said, lifting her chin, about to kiss her and lift the egg yolk off her cheek with his bold, hungry tongue, "here's what we'll do..."

* * *

"When it comes to morning meals, we like em all heavy and full of flavor and we like it loud," Heiji said in his Kansai dialect. "Hail Osaka, still the nation's kitchen. Undisputed, we salute it, and this here's a title that ah don't even think the good Lord'll dispute!"

"Heiji. We're in Tokyo, eating at Yoshinoya next to lonely salarymen," deadpanned Kazuha.

Crocodile tears. What can be made out of those from poor Heiji Hattori? "Oh Kazuha, sweetie pie, can't ya settle down and least let m'fantasize about bein in mah home town agin f'once?"

"Reality can be a cruel mistress, now dontcha know."

"Why me, ohhh why me...mercy." But as Heiji was about to eat his Beef Bowl in sorrow, the phone rang. "Now whaz gone on, ah'm eatin' breakfast up in here!"

"Good morning, Heiji," Shinichi said.

"Ah, Kudou-aniki, morning!"

"Howdy," Kazuha said.

"How ya doin'?"

"Where are you guys at?" Shinichi asked.

"Yoshinoya, eatin' beef bowls." Some snickers from Ran in the background. "Neechan, stop laughin' over the phone over there, ah know that's you!"

"Heiji, calm down!" Kazuha shot back.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'm sorry, Hattori-kun, but, that's...ohohohoh..." Ran just had to laugh.

"Anyway, what are both of you doing today?" asked Shinichi to Heiji.

"We're just gonna do some shopping then we're returning home to start our units at Ritsumeikan."

"Actually, you might want to change your plans after you shop."

"Huh, why do you say that?"

"At 3 p.m. you need to be at Shibuya Police Station to meet Uncle Kogoro and Inspector Nakamori."

"Occhan, huh? I think we may have some work to do after a little layoff."

"Do you know what it is?" Kazuha asked.

"They'll tell us, but this is an important meeting, don't be late."

"Y'got it, Kudou-aniki, see ya later."

"Bye," Kazuha said as Shinichi hung up. She and Heiji finished up their meal before on their midday run.

* * *

"Ah, we finally made it exactly five minutes to the clock," Kaito said with Aoko.

"Thank you for coming," Detective Kogoro Mouri said.

"Welcome," Inspector Ginzo Nakamori add.

"Good afternoon, Dad," Aoko said, hugging.

"Ahhh, good to see you here, my wonderful daughter," he said. "Now, my future son-in-law, have you been on your best behavior when being with Aoko?"

"She can't stop being in my company, I don't think you have anything to worry about, ahahahahahahah," Kaito said with a hand behind his head, laughing embarassingly as Inspector Nakamori saw Aoko rub on Kaito like a catgirl.

"Nyaaaaaan!" Aoko meowed.

"Oh for goodness sake, Aoko, cut that out, you're in a police station!" the Inspector said.

And the dojikko pose. "Go-me-n!"

With reactionary facepalm. "Ugh..."

"Ginzo, you and I share a lot in common in having obstinate daughters who love our soon-to-be respective sons-in-law," Kogoro concured.

"You also share the same mustache, mind that, will you," he added.

"Noted for the record."

"But first," said Kaito, "allow me to spruce up the place for the others."

Five minutes later, the rest came in. "Whoa, a steak dinner?" Heiji said as he, Kazuha, Shinichi and Ran entered the police station to a table for eight with steak, salad, Yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, creamed corn and spinach and punch.

"This food is actually real, right?" Shinichi asked. Aoko did a contropposto, holding the smartphone, indicating that they both ordered it via delivery while Kaito did the decorations in typical Kaito fashion. Inspector Kaito was in a corner, indicated he footed the bill.

Aoko turned to her father, an anger vein on her fist. "Dad, stop crying, get up and eat with us, your steak's gonna turn cold!" She dragged him to the table and propped him up, and they ate.

"Anyway," said Detective Mouri, "the reason we brought you here is that a special request came from Kyoto Prefecture, and Uji City."

"Hey, that's near our place! Woooohooo!" cheered Heiji. "Once again, ladies and gentlemen, may I take this courtesy to remind y'all, once agaion...the West is Best. We're where it's at. Y'all dig that?" A headbump from Kazuha. "Owwww, c'mon honey why ya do this to me?"

"Show some respect to the East," she replied tersely, holding the hands of Ran and Aoko to comforth them as they all stared at Heiji with looks of disapproval.

"Ehhhhhh," Heiji wailed, "I want y'all to end me right now..." he whispered dramatically, as if he was about to be hit by a tornado in America.

"And stop digging your own grave!" the three of them said with inflated heads at Heiji, breathing fire like cute dragons.

"Whoa," Shinichi and Kaito said in unison before laughing while continuing to eat.

"Anyway, as I was saying," Detective Mouri said, "a person at a high school in the city called Kitauji wanted your assistance in protecting the safety of four new students that will be arriving on campus tomorrow as first-years. They are being targeted by an unknown enemy for a reason that we are currently trying to gather information about."

"Ohhh?" asked Heiji. "So how are we going to do this?"

"You will assume the identities of six new first-year students arriving on exchange from America to reside for three years. You will be living in a hotel with wi-fi access that has been prearranged in advance with the owners in anticipation of this. Also, we have your new passports that will allow people to know who you are. But we do not want the people to know your real identities because we are told that your are very popular among the citizens there, especially you, Heiji, and Kazuha, and your may need to change your hairstyles so that it doesn't look obvious," said Inspector Nakamori. "Both of us also confortable calling you by your surnames, if you don't mind."

"Eri Kiseki, the wife that I longed to reunite with and reconcile with, told me that our lives together will be determined by the success of this mission," Detective Mouri said, starting to tear up. "I need the six of you to do this right and do you best so that I will get my wife back for good!" He just had to bawl on Inspector Nakamori's shoulder, triggering hesitant laughter from Ran, Aoko, Shinichi and Kaito and looks of disgust from Heiji and Kazuha. "My entire life rides on your success so please don't let me down."

"Also, you will get our blessing to finally be together," Inspector Nakamori said, "but if you think this is going to be a peace of cake, all the students will want to take advantage of your good looks and charms. especially the ones you are protecting. In short, the love you all had for each other will be at a crossroads when you enter the school and go undercover. Always keep in mind that you're just older than the third-years, so don't try to be tempted and always be professional."

"We'll do our best, Dad," Aoko said. "Me...and my husband-to-be."

"Father," Ran said to Detective Mouri, "Shinichi and I won't let you down, we promise."

"Occhan, we got this, both of you." Heiji said, he and Kazuha saluting with a grin. "Leave it to us!"

"Good. Take the night train to Kyoto, hurry and get some sleep. Your uniforms and everything will be waiting," said Detective Mouri. "As for your real coursework, you will be doing distance learning modules from your rooms, and your rooms are next to each other to make things convenient."

"In more ways than one I would add," snarked Inspector Nakamori.

"YOU OLD PERVERTED GEEZERS!" exclaimed the six of them. Aoko and Ran punished their respective fathers with a double roundhouse kick for good measure.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Daddy!" Ran screamed.

"What Neesama said, that's none of your business, father!" Aoko added.

"They might as well be twins," thought Kaito and Shinichi.

"All right, meeting adjourned, good luck, and remember, all of Japan is counting on you," said Detective Mouri. The six of them saluted Detective Mouri and Inspector Nakamori before they left.

* * *

"I hope this is the last mission we have to do before things settle down for us," Kaito growled as the six of them carried their luggage to Tokyo Station, where the shinkansen awaited them. "But after this, we get to be married, all three couples of us."

"Bout darn time we took our good lovin' to the next level, ain't that right Kazuha?" asked Heiji.

"Tickled kinda pink but love can wait, y'know?"

"Touche, senorita."

"But what are we gonna call our clique?" asked Aoko. "This is new territory with all of us working together to protect these students that we don't know."

"Shinichi, do you have any idea what we should call ourselves?" asked Ran. "Detective Boys is out of the question because they would know that from the reality show we did of all of us."

Shinichi, deep in thought, finally let something dawn on him as the train began to move. "I've got it."

"What is it, aniki?" asked Heiji, Kaito's lips forming a sideways number three as he grew cat ears and a tail.

"Ever heard of this band from Adelaide, Australia called Atlas Genius?"

"I kinda heard of them..."

"There is a song that will lay out the plan to keep the people we will protect safe from the forces of evil. It's a song that made the band famous around the world. The morning will soon come and we will know who we will be, as new things await us and the past becomes history, for we have come of age."

"Shinichi..." Ran whispered.

"Everyone," he said, rising slowly before turning to them, eyes lifted to the sky. "We...are the Trojans."

* * *

 **END CHAPTER 1**


	2. All The Thoughts Of What We've Been

**Trojans**

 **Chapter 2:**

 **Take Off All The Thoughts Of What We've Been**

* * *

For Kumiko Oumae, with her puffy brown hair and golden amber eyes that roared like a tiger, music was always going to be a part of her life, even though at her age, she wanted to get away from it. She wanted to get away from herself at times as the memory of what happened not too long ago broke her resolve to be a musician. At least, that's what her own personal self-consciousness wanted to tell her. She was breaking. And she was breaking bad.

She remembered that day when the band she was with, before she entered Kitauji, had won gold in the Kansai prelimaries, the Kyoto Concert Band Competition at the junior high level. Next to her was Reina Kousaka, someone that she knew when they were youngsters. Kumiko played the euphonium and Reina was a trumpeter.

* * *

 _"So, the following schools will be taking part in the Kansai Concert Band Competition," said the presider, reading the list at the concert hall, reading a list._

 _She turned to Reina, at her left. "Kousaka-san...you're happy enough to cry?" she asked. "Congratulations, we won gold..."_

 _She wasn't happy. "I'm so upset. I'm so upset, I could die," Reina whispered to Kumiko through the tracks of her tears and her somber purple eyes, curled in a fetal position, crying her life away, her spirit broken into pieces as she came to terms with reality. To her, this was pretty much finishing second, with no hope of advancing. She wanted the good Lord to end her, perhaps in her sleep, perhaps as a victim of a heart attack or better yet, a broken heart. They had worked so hard to advance to the next round, and yet they had lost. It was something that she would not get over for a long time._

 _"Why are people happy when we didn't even make it? How can we have won gold and yet our name does not even get called among those taking part in the next stage of the competition?" Reina asked. "Weren't we shooting for Nationals? Does God even exist!? Be honest and tell me the truth, nobody needs to lie to me anymore, I hate liars!"_

 _Kumiko couldn't say anything to Reina at that point because if she was honest with her, she feared Reina would also brand her a liar and a backstabber to the dream she shared with her of national fame and glory on the night before their performance. To be fair, she wasn't far off with her deductions._

 _She broke her silence. "Did you really think we could make the Nationals, Kousaka-san?" Kumiko asked her, wondering if she was really realistic about the competition they were facing. She gasped and realized, she was being honest after all._

 _Reina lifted her face and look at her in disgust, shocked that she would say such things to hurt already fragile state of mind. "Aren't you upset?" she asked. She rose up, the tears falling like autumn rain. "Because I am upset! I'm totally upset and I cannot accept this because this absolutely pisses me off!" Kumiko watched as Reina left and ran away from her, still coming to terms with what she had just said._

 _Reina then went to an empty bench in a spot with few people and continued to cry, "Why...why do you do this to me, Lord..." she sobbed. "...why won't you let me die!?"_

 _A young boy with a short ahoge, glasses and a bow tie, accompanied by a woman appearing to be twice his age with a horn lick and long brown hair, went to her. "A beautiful lady like you shouldn't be crying, let along end yourself, in a place like this," he said, offering Reina a bouquet of flowers._

 _"Th...thank you..." Reina said, wiping away her tears as she managed a light smile. "I'm glad you liked our performance."_

 _"You know, I have a good feeling that you will never suffer this cruel injustice again the next time this awaits you. My deductions are confident that justice will be done to you...and the one you left in the hall."_

 _"How...how can you be so confident?" Reina whispered. "We lost! How you can not be upset!?"_

 _"This is not going to kill you unless you decide to let it, and fate won't let you end yourself. As the old saying goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so hang in there, you will be all right, and I believe in my heart that you will avenge this because it's perhaps, maybe, just maybe...destiny."_

 _"Thank you so much," Reina said. "But wait a minute, you never told me your name. Who are you, really?"_

 _"My name and who I am doesn't matter to you," the boy said. "What matters is that we are on your side and we got your back, so don't worry about this bringing you down because it won't. Congratulations, you were awesome. Godspeed. Stay strong." The boy nodded to the girl and they both left Reina into the crowd waiting below._

 _"Wait a minute...those glasses, those eyes, that girl's hair," Reina thought. "They couldn't be...?" Her heart skipped a beat. But then she realized that she had to accept that her school was not making the next round. And yet, something stirred in her heart from that boy's kind words. Reina let out a little giggle through her tear-stained face and smiled._

 _"Whoever you are...I want to see you again...because...I think I like you...and I will see you again! I know it! Yes, I know it!"_

* * *

Getting up early in the morning was not a problem for Kumiko, as she donned her brown school uniform of Kitauji for women, a seifuke with its red bow tie, brown and white trim. It was April 1, and the new chapter in her life was about to begin. She looked at herself in the mirror. "So why did I believe the rumor by all these people in the news that my boobs would get bigger, once I was in high school?" she thought to herself. "Kousaka-san...isn't the only one that hates liars..."

Tying her hair back, Kumiko packed her bag and slung it over her left shoulder. "All right, I'm heading out, see you!" she said.

"Have fun!" said her mother as Kumiko left.

Meanwhile, the newly formed Trojans Group were also walking towards Kitauji in their uniforms, having rested at their new quarters not too far from where Kumiko lived. "Uji City is a wonderful small town," Heiji Hattori told the other five as they walked past a pathway of cherry blossom trees. "I passed by this here place numerous times before. This is home to the Byodo-In, a national treasure and a place where me and Kazuha, we sometimes get our peace of mind. Ain't that right, love?"

"This city never ceases to amaze me," Kazuha Touyama added.

Kaito Kuroba scooped up a bundle of cherry blossom petals, blew them in the air and they turned into a flock of doves flying into the morning sky. "Amaterasu told me in a dream last night that a woman's heart is strong, pure and bold, but at the same time is fragile and must be protected when all hope seems lost," he said. "So I take this time to thank all the women I've been with for being by my side, especially Amaterasu, a.k.a. Aoko, for being my guidepost and my guardian angel that I flew with in my dreams."

"You always like to flatter me so much," Aoko Nakamori said, her hair tied back in twintails.

"It's strange to not have my horn lick," Ran Mouri admitted. Imstead, her hair was adjusted so that she looked like Mikatan Narugino.

"Remember," Shinichi Kudou said in a bowl cut. "No one is supposed to know who we are because it would spoil our plans. Moreover..." He saw Kumiko in the distance, watching the cherry blossom petals shower over her. "We found one of the targets, but keep a distance." They all nodded. There weren't a lot of people from Kumiko's old school that enrolled at Kitauji, but she knew that there might be some that decided to stay local. The uniform and a fresh start was what sold here.

Finally, they got to the entrance. "Looks like some people are asking for members," Kazuha noticed.

"Ahhhh," Heiji said, seeing one of the people from the baseball team. "Hey buddy!"

"Yeah?" asked the guy in the uniform.

"You boys need a pitcher to win Koshien? I'm your man, I'm joining," he said, shaking his hand.

The member noticed him and couldn't believe his eyes for a bit. "Wait a second, are you?"

"I look like him, but I'm actually one of his fans. I'm actually a foreign exchange student from America that happens to be fluent in Japanese."

"What's your name?" he asked.

"I'm Harley Hartwell of Beverly Hills, California. Nice to meet you."

"Jin. Let's work together." A fist bump.

"Aren't you going to meet us in class?" Kazuha asked.

"I'll see you there in a bit. Aniki here is joining the soccer team." He was pointing to the soccer team members genuflecting to Shinichi after he showed his dribbling skills.

"Please be our captain, Master Jimmy!" the soccer team said in unison.

"Heheheheh, this is gonna be a piece of cake," Shinichi grinned to Ran. "Nice idea..."

"Ugh, Jimmy, hurry up and join us in the homeroom ASAP because you're gonna be late!" she said as she went to the classroom.

"Be there in a bit, Rachel! Let's do this paperwork...first."

"Say," Kaito said, meeting the people of the Magic Club, "I can teach you some tricks myself because I was a magic school student back in the States." Kaito did some beginner-level card tricks, causing the skirts of all the ladies to lift, triggering nosebleeds. "Oh, oh, you're Trojans in my-OWWW!"

"That's enough, Bakai-er, Kenton!" Aoko said, wielding a mop before dragging him to the homeroom.

"Oh Aho-er, Allison, why ya gonna do this to me, baby? I've not yet beguuuuun to faaaaaaap!" Kaito sang, triggering laughter from the girls. "Thank you, thank you, you're too...k-k-k-k..."

"Stop showing off and flaunting, Kenton, you're not at home, it's morning!"

"My woman...oh what a woman..."

"Attention, new students!" said a person on a platform. "Welcome to Kitauji High School!"

Kumiko walked over and saw a group of musicians on the steps. "So this is the concert band."

"To celebrate your admittance to our wonderful campus," said Asuka Tanaka, the band's vice president, "a song..." The melody was so familiar...it caught Kumiko off guard and shook her to the bone. This was the number her old school performed when she was in middle school.

"Hmmm?" asked Ran as she, Aoko and the others (some who reunited) said as they saw Kumiko scarred for life.

"They're screwed," Kumiko said, shocked. She then turned around to the six who were noticing her reaction and blushed, smiling while a couple of seagulls sailed into the open sky. The six turned away in unison.

"I think we need to get to the homeroom right now, ahahahahahah," Kaito said, still being dragged. "Ah, to be young again, to be young again...owwwww!"

* * *

Kumiko needed to wash herself of the guilt of having wasted her time listening to that band. Why did she even enroll at Kitauji? What was the point? And the rationale behind that was absolutely frivolous at best. Turning off the sink in the ladies washroom, "They suck!" she concluded in the back of her naive mind, as she cleaned herself up and entered Class 1-3. "They don't play together as a team. Off-pitch, out of rhythm, my old school was far better than this. At least I can accept that Nationals is not a priority for them."

"So this our classroom, huh?" Heiji said as the Trojans took their assigned seats in the front.

"I like this campus, it is full of nostalgia and charm," Kaito said, looking over his shoulder and seeing Kumiko with her head on her hands in thought before turning to the others. "It has the spirit of a grand old lady."

"I can deduce that it is also had a track record of success among some of its clubs," Shinichi added.

Suddenly, something sparked in Kumiko's head, causing her eyes to go wide open. The tears coming out of Reina's face on that fateful day. No matter how many times she wanted to run away from that thought, it was pulling her back. But oh, how she tried not to remember those tears of sorrow, such raw emotion that endeared Reina to her. It Just. Wouldn't. Leave.

'But they really sucked," she said to herself, referring to her current school's band's performance.

A voice. "What sucked?"

A sweatdrop came down Kumiko's forehead as the Trojans watched from a distance. Kaito produced a tub of popcorn with hot butter to share with the others. "Huh?" Kumiko asked.

"You said that they really sucked, who is it?"

"I'm sorry, did I say that out loud?" she asked, covering her mouth in shame. "Wait a minute...who are you?"

"Me? The name's Hazuki Katou. Pleasure to meet you. I sit right behind you." She extended a hand, to which Kumiko accepted.

"Kumiko Oumae. Honored to meet you."

"So that's Person of Interest No. 1," said Heiji. "Kumiko Oumae. Beautiful name."

"Not as beautiful as mine's," said Kazuha.

"And there is Person of Interest No. 2, based on the description from Inspector Nakamori-er, Uncle Ginzo," said Kaito. "Hazuki Katou."

Hazuki went on. "So, what-"

However, they were interrupted. "Everyone, take your seats," said the instructor, Ms. Michie Matsumoto. "With you all in high school at this point in your lives, making noise in class is unprofessional. I'm unimpressed by it. Have a seat, everyone." She looked down. "Explain the length of your skirts. Fix them, now."

"Sorry," the girls in front of her said, adjusting.

"Sheesh, what an obstinate teacher," Ran thought. "Does she realize she's in the wrong era to say such things?"

"I am Ms. Michie Matsumoto, your homeroom teacher for Class 1-3. Ah, that reminds me...we are honored to have six new transfer students from America join the class. Don't worry, they are said to be fluent in Japanese. The six of you, stand and introduce yourselves."

"Hello," said Shinichi. "My name is Jimmy Kudou, an aspiring soccer player from the USA. I live in Beverly Hills, along with the others that are with me."

"He's so cute," said Hazuki, starstruck.

"He must be so rich, living in a city in America like Beverly Hills," said another female student.

"Pretty boy," shot a male student. Shinichi eyed him as if to say, "Watch your tongue, fellow first-year." He froze and said, "Sorry!"

"Next!" said Ms. Matsumoto.

"Good morning, I am Rachel Moore, the daughter of detectives working for the Los Angeles Police Department. I am on exchange to learn more about Japan and this city," said Ran in English and Japanese. "Let's do our best, ne?"

"Oooou!" the students responded.

"She is hot," whispered one male student.

"Can I get her number?" asked another. "I can show her a good time, I promise."

"My dick is ready to blow any minute now," snarled another.

Ran eyed them all as if to say, "Boys, I already am seeing someone, I suggest you look elsewhere or I'll kick your ass." They all turned to stone.

"Next!" the teacher said, pointing to Heiji.

"Howdy ladies, and gents. Harley Hartwell, Houston born and raised, but currently residing in good old Beverly Hills since I was 12. I love the Kansai region and the fine food here, and I'm proud to say that the West is Best."

"Howdy!" responded the other students.

Heiji flashed a smile. "And don't ya forget it."

"Next!" Ms. Matsumoto said.

"Good morning y'all, Kirsten Thomas, from Big D. That's Dallas, Texas for those of y'all who need a map," Kazuha said. "It's good to be here, me and Harley like to dream big and I hope all y'all do the same because we all in this together..." Crept in closer. "If y'all know what I mean."

"We hear ya. Miss Kirsten!" said one female student.

"Won't let ya down!" said another.

"Thank you for being in our class!" said a third.

"Anytime," Kazuha said.

"Next," said the teacher.

Kaito flashed a set of cards, which turned into a welcome banner above the blackboard after he tossed it. "Kenton Crowe, born in San Diego but moved to Hollywood and Beverly Hills when I was eight to study magic at Magic Castle because my father was a magician," Kaito said as the Trojans continued with their well-thought-out alter ego. "This class won't be boring because all of us, what you call, gaijin, will keep it fun. We hold all the cards. Just leave the comic relief to us." The students had a laugh.

Ms. Matsumoto sighed. "If you say so, but don't go overboard..." She knew that these new students weren't ordinary first-years but she wanted to keep their real identities a secret. "Next!"

"I'm last. Allison Macklemore of Beverly Hills," Aoko said. "My father works with the Beverly Hills Police Department as well as the LA County Sheriff's Department and I have plans to study law or fashion...just like my cousin thrice removed, Rachel."

"Wait a minute," said a male student. "You and Rachel are cousins?"

"And I'm a distant relative of both of them too," Kazuha added.

"So you all went together, huh? Makes a lot of sense..."

"All right, the six of you, have a seat," Ms. Matsumoto said. She whispered to Shinichi. "Try to lay low and don't let anyone know who you really are. I won't tell anyone, no matter what, but do your part because you are the folks in trouble now, got it...Detective?"

He winked. "Count on us."

"Oh yeah," Ran added, leaning in closer, "try to be nice to the female students, Ms. Matsumoto. I will take offense to you going overboard because you're working with US. All we ask is for your undivided cooperation. Okay?"

"I'll try."

"Good." Shinichi nodded, knowing that Ran was laying down the law real hard in signature fashion.

"Okay, so..." she said, turning to the class. "I'll call roll for the others, since the six have been accounted for. Yuudai Asai?"

"Here!"

"Yuki Ishikawa?"

"Here!"

"Hiroko Uchiyamada?"

"Here!"

"Yoko Eguchi?"

"Here!" Kumiko continued to look around.

"Kumiko Oumae?"

"Here!" she said.

"Hazuki Katou?"

"Here!" she said.

"Ryokuki...wait a minute...I can't read this...Kawashima?" Ms. Matsumoto was confused.

"My apologies, it's pronounced Sapphire," said Sapphire Kawashima, correcting her. "Written as green and shining."

"Sapphire Kawashima. My apologies, I will not make that mistake again."

Kaito looked at Sapphire, with her blonde hair and emerald ornament and yellow-green eyes, then turned to the others. "Person of Interest No. 3 identified," he said to the five through telekinesis, who nodded. "Sapph-chan."

"Awesomesauce," Hazuki said to Kumiko. "Truly a special snowflake!" This special snowflake's face was a tomato, to which Heiji flashed a thumbs up and grin, and to which Kazuha disapproved, looking the other way and pouting.

"I'm...fine with this," Sapphire said. Actually, she wasn't. Some lie.

* * *

"Not bad stuff she taught us, but the coursework here is too easy it should be served in junior high," Heiji said to the Trojans as they looked at their notes. "Good thing we're not going to get any grades except credit scores because the real coursework is waiting for us at our laptops back at our place. Viva distance learning."

"Online courses, you gotta love 'em," said Kaito, shuffling some cards as he, Aoko, Kazuha and Ran played a game of poker. Aoko held up a straight flush. "You randy beast..."

"Hey Kumiko, let's walk home together," Hazuki said to Kumiko, startling her.

"You're calling me Kumiko?" she exclaimed.

"Isn't that your name? Is there a problem? Did you start the fire?"

"Well, it IS my name, but..." This was too casual for her. She was sweating because not even the one that left her would be this casual. Kumiko turned to the six observing her. She wanted to know more about these new exchange students. How were they this fluent in Japanese before arriving in Japan. Surely there was something different about these new faces.

"If it's all right, I'm Hazuki and you can call me Katou, and so can...these folks!" said Hazuki to the Trojans. "Are you enjoying your life in Japan, Jimmy-kun?"

"Let's just call you Hazuki. Loving it, you sure seem like a nice lady that deserves all the respect in the world," Shinichi said.

"What about the rest of you?"

"I do declare...you can go on and show us around and give us a good time, since we're new here," Heiji replied before turning to Kazuha as if to say, "well, not really." Kazuha forcefully grinned.

"Doesn't matter the time or place, I will always love women that love to drop the formalities and treat everyone like brothers and sisters for a common cause," Kaito said. "I can feel the magic in the air of this school already. That's why we're here."

"Mmm-hmm!" said Aoko, Kazuha and Ran, arms crossed and nodding.

Kumiko looked at Kaito's sparkling blue eyes and her heart skipped a beat. She had to turn away, blushing. "Don't you walk home with anyone else?" she asked Hazuki.

"Not really. See, I decided today that I'd do this: I'm gonna make new friends in high school and do all kinds of new things, and I already got seven new ones!"

Kumiko turned to the Trojans, who were smiling. "So...I'm included?"

"I'm counting on you, Kumiko-chan!" she said.

"We're counting on you too," Ran said to her.

"You guys?" she asked.

"The truth of the matter is..." Kaito said to himself, "there is a bigger reason why we're counting on you...we just don't know it yet."

* * *

"Do you still want me to tell you what sucked about it?" Kumiko asked Hazuki, the six Trojans following them.

"Let's go back to square one just for a bit. Opal-chan!"

"Huh? No, it's something greener," she recalled.

"Wait a minute," Sapphire said, noticing that Kumiko was holding a big instrument. Well, it wasn't really an instrument, but... "Is that Tuba-kun?"

"The hell?" exclaimed Kumiko, shocked. "What are you talking about?"

"Just who are these people of interest anyway?" wondered Kazuha, visibly unimpressed by the airheadedness of Sapphire and Hazuki as she ran fingers through her messy bangs.

"It doesn't matter, Kazuha-chan. we need to keep an eye on them because they are the ones, along with someone else," Aoko said.

"Apparently, Tuba-kun is the tall white trinket that Kumiko wears from her bag," Shinichi said. "And I am guessing there is some history behind this."

"That's our detective, on it like a silver bullet," Heiji replied.

"Tuba-kun is so cute," Sapphire said. "is it okay if I touch-"

"Hey, Opal-chan," Hazuki interrupted her.

"It's Sapphire. Come on now..."

"Sorry, Sapphire-chan..."

"We'll call her Sapph-chan for short," Heiji said. "Casual is how we like it. Right, Sapph-chan?"

"I guess, that will do..." Sapphire was blushing.

"So you like it, huh?" asked Kumiko as they looked at Tuba-kun, which actually had the insignia of...

"A blue trumpet," said Shinichi to the five other team members. "I am guessing that this is a connection to the yet-to-be-determined Person of Interest No. 4."

"He's really good, isn't he?" Heiji told Kaito.

The catchphrase. "One truth prevails."

"So what is this again?" asked Hazuki, peering closer.

"A tuba mascot character," Kumiko said, beaming.

"Wait a second...a tuba?" Hazuki wondered, an eyebrow raised.

"You haven't seen a tuba in your life, Hazuki-san?" asked Heiji, wondering in tandem.

"Who hasn't, Charlie?" said Shinichi.

"It's Harley, not Charlie! The reason why I was named Harley and not Charlie was because I was raised in the deepest parts of Houston, where angels deserve to die!"

"So you are a System of a Down fan?"

"Lemme tell ya, brothers and sisters: Chop Suey and Cigaro are great power ballads," he said, holding up his iPhone and pointing to it, "I can attest to this because I played these two songs on this here billion-dollar baby smartphone on the plane heading to Osaka on LOOP! Kirsten here, she knows darn tootin' what I'm talking 'bout because sugarcube here, she slapped my ass silly when the plane touched down. My poor old ass is still sore from the slappin', it's all red." A shudder, and then, a whisper. "True story, y'all." He pressed a button, triggering a mic drop sound effect that could be heard across the hall.

"Nice lies, Heiji," Shinichi said to telekineses, cracking his knuckles as Heiji spun his phone and put it away. "You're real good, brother."

"Too good," Kazuha deadpanned monotonously.

"You betcha!" he replied in kind.

"A tuba is a brass intrument," Kumiko told Hazuki.

"Brass instrument, huh?"

"She's never seen one in her life," the Trojans said in unison, collectively disappointed.

"If I recall, Midori played contrabass on the concert band," said Sapphire.

"Contrabass?" Hazuki asked.

"Oh dear," Shinichi said. "Someone light up a match."

"I have a matchbox here, Jimmy," Kaito said, producing one in sleight-of-hand fashion.

"Not now, put that away!"

"Spoilsport." And it disappeared.

"Who's Midori?" asked Kumiko.

"Actually, Midori is my name," said Sapphire, causing the Trojans to fall over in shock.

"So that was you all along, Midori-neechan...er, Sapph-chan," Heiji said.

"We're older than she is," Kazuha reminded him, whispering.

"Midorimouto?"

"Such casualness..."

Sapphire went on. "But you know, the name Sapphire is kind of...actually, just call me Midori."

"Midori-san it is," Heiji said, extending a hand out to her as Sapphire shook it. "As well as Hazuki-san."

Hazuki shook his hand as well. "I like that tan of yours, it turns me on."

"I like it too, it's so cute," Sapphire said.

"Oh, you two, just for that you can be my sisters along with Neechan here anytime. As well as Kumiko-san."

"Oh, yeah," Kumiko said, shaking his hand. "I'm glad to be more than of your acquaintance."

Heiji chuckled. "Not so bad, eh?"

"Hey honey, you better not have any ideas because you're supposed to be off limits, remember?" Kazuha said to him, whispering in his ear the reminder.

"Straight off the bat, too," Aoko added. "Line's been drawn. I can hardly breathe."

"Oh ease up, Ka-er, Kirsten, I know my limits." He turned to Sapphire and Hazuki still admiring his looks. "Although...this is going to be a battle in and of itself, if ya don't mind..."

Kumiko, though, was still looking in Kaito's eyes as he noticed him staring at her features. "Really, Kumiko, I'd like to see you without your ponytail, if you don't mind," Kaito thought to himself.

"What's with the two of them talking the same with 'if you don't mind,'?" asked Shinichi to himself in thought, shrugging while turning to an invisible camera, a question mark next to him and a sweatdrop on his forehead. "We must be that close."

"Also, a contrabass is the name of an instrument," said Sapphire. "It's as big as your body. Really big. Looks like a gigantic violin but played differently. Have you seen one?"

"I don't think they have, Midori-san," Heiji said.

"I've seen one," Hazuki said.

He fell over, "Damn, I lost!" Kazuha had to laugh. "Oh come on, Kirsten, you know I was bluffing."

"Right, that's what they all say," Kazuha said, propping him back up on his feet.

"She don't believe me...boo hoo!"

"So you have seen one?" said Sapphire.

"You know, I used to be in a concert band back in the day, too," Kumiko said.

"Is that so!?" And she stood still. "Um...er..." She forgot her name.

"She's Kumiko Oumae, by the way," said Hazuki, pointing to her.

"And if she had an American name, she'd be a southern belle named Camellia Collette Miles, the burning pride of Birmingham, Alabama, truly the city's finest," said Kaito. The Trojans had to laugh, shaking their heads. Kumiko was sweating again.

"Doesn't sound like a musician, C.C. Miles sounds more like a novelist of Pulitzer Prize winning love stories," Shinichi suggested, posing back to back with Heiji in bookend fashion.

"So much that countless movies and dramas and soap operas and all that jazz would be created at her hands and imagination, triggering Oscars and Film Festival plaudits around the world for years on end," Heiji added. "And she'd be attending that school in Tuscaloosa, home of Alabama's professional football team cosplaying as a amateur college football side, the world-famous...Crimson Tide. Fight on, fight on, fight on men, remember the Rose Bowl we'll win then."

"We're not filming a commercial or reality TV show here," Aoko, Ran and Kazuha said in unison to themselves, sweat drops on their head. "Please go easy on your Burning Love..."

"She's Kumiko and I'm Hazuki," Hazuki said. "Pleasure to meet you all."

"Copy, over," Sapphire said.

"But it seems that you guys," Hazuki said to the Trojans, "have an interest in us..."

Heiji, Shinichi and Kaito were caught off guard, as well as their partners. "We're not going to tell you why we decided to befriend you because we don't know the reason why, either," Shinichi said to the three girls via telekinesis. "Just remember that if anything bad should happen to you, we got your back."

"I guess a few bodyguard ikemen wouldn't be bad every now and then," she replied back as an aside. "Although, to be honest...you six...I may have seen you all somewhere...numerous times...doing awesome things...are you actually...?"

That shocked the six of them. "Does she KNOW!?" thought the six of them in unison, alarmed that Hazuki was going to blow their cover in front of absolutely no one. May Day! May Day! May Day!

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were other people that I know from movies and dramas and light novels, really famous people, my mistake, never mind," Hazuki said while bowing, triggering a collective sigh of relief. "Forget I said anything, I said too much!"

"Please don't do that again, Hazuki-san, we don't even know who they are either," Heiji said. "Personally, at least. We're Americans. We're on visa. We absolutely have no idea who you're alluding to, honest. Ahahahahah..."

"A lie on top of another lie," the other Trojans thought in unison.

"What else do you Trojan condom-heads want me to saaaaaay!?" he shot back, an anger vein on his head.

"Hey Kumiko-chan, what part did you play in the band?" asked Sapphire enthusiastically.

"Baritone," she replied. "I was a former euph player before I switched."

"I can see that."

"What do you mean? Did a UFO arrive or something?" Hazuki said.

"I'm gonna spend plenty of time teaching her everything she needs to know about this and that," Heiji concluded. Kazuha nodded concedingly.

"Not UFO. Euph," Kumiko said. "As in, 'Euphonium.'" She held up her bag and trinket. "Looks like this, only smaller."

Hazuki touched the trinket. "That so? Yeah, that's really small all right."

"Hm?"

"Well, let me tell you a little bit about me. I used to be in the tennis club at my old school," Hazuki said.

"Hey, I played tennis as well back in the states," Ran added.

"You did?"

"Yep. See, my parents are members of the local tennis club in Beverly Hills and I happened to spend some time playing as a member, often rubbing shoulders with the children of famous celebrities. I don't do it as much these days because of other obligations...like school, of course. This is absolutely a whole lot different, living in Japan."

"Anyway, I decided," said Hazuki, "I'm in high school, I'm gonna join the concert band here."

"Are you serious?" Sapphire asked. "No way...because I was going to go watch these guys. So how about we all go together?"

"You wanna follow us?" Hazuki asked the Trojans.

Heiji, Shinichi and Kaito nodded at each other. "Hey Jin!" Heiji said.

"Yeah?" he asked down the hall.

"Put me in as an emergency player, I'm switching clubs!"

"Sorry to see you go," he said.

"Soccer team," Shinichi said to the team about to leave the hall.

"Yes, sir!" they all said.

"Pencil me in as an emergency player for your matches, I have to switch clubs."

"Awwwww," they all said.

"Can't split into two people, you know. You'll be okay, trust me. Sorry!"

"Right," they all said, leaving.

"I'm afraid to tell you wonderful folks," said Kaito to the few Magic Club members in the hall, "that I have switched clubs because of an important date with destiny. Send my regards to the advisor that my circumstances changed."

"Copy that, over!" they all said, saluting Kaito.

An invisible camera zoomed on Shinichi. "To the music room...GO!"

"Ooooou!" the Trojans said, walking as one to the room in a straight line, following the three girls.

* * *

"Hot damn!" Hazuki said, peering through the window. "Is that a trumpet? I like trumpets. It's absolute, pure awesomesauce!"

"Yeah, I could go for some deep fried pork chops with applesauce right about now," Heiji chuckled before Kazuha gave him a headbump. "Ahhh! Lawd have mercy!"

"Hey look, Hazuki-chan, a euph," Sapphire said, pointing.

"Let me see," she said, taking a closer look. "UFOs do exist and they are huge."

"More screwed than the band itself, brothers?" Shinichi asked Heiji and Kaito, who nodded. "Just as planned."

"Kumiko, you silly girl, you pulled a fast one on me. You said, and I quote," Hazuki quoted, "that this was smaller than Tuba-kun."

Heiji was about to keel over from the apparent lackage of insulin. "Stop it Hazuki-san, my heart cannot take your naivete much longer..."

"I'm sorry to let you down," Kumiko groaned, sweating.

"When all else fails, just play along because she knows nothing," Shinichi said to himself.

"Anyway, a sax is nice too..." A hand was on the glass from the other side. And it was about to kiss Hazuki.

"SON OF A BITCH WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING AAAAAAAH I'M NOT GAAAAAAAY!" Hazuki screamed, scarred for life at the sight before stumbling down.

"Hazuki-san!" Heiji said, running over to her. "Are you all right, sister?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine, just...let me catch my breath for a bit..."

"You took a bit of a fall," Kumiko said.

"You okay?" Sapphire asked her.

"Well, well, well, who could this be?" A sultry voice asked. It was Asuka.

"So you're here to watch us? Come in..." She noticed the Trojans behind the three of them. "Ah, Detective, I finally meet you guys," she said through telekinesis to Shinichi.

"Yes, that is me," he replied in kind with a grin.

"I'll talk with the six of you behind closed doors after everyone else has left." Asuka then spoke. "All of you! Come in, join us!"

Hazuki's eyes sparkled as she looked at who would be her sempai. "Oh sweet baby butter Jesus, she's pretty!"

"Er, Hazuki-san, you're in the way, we need to get in," Heiji deadpanned before forcing a smile at Asuka who nodded.

"Ah, right, ahahahahahah..." Who's screwed now, Hazuki Katou? Cop that!

* * *

"Anyway, this is our current high school band," Asuka said, introducing the newcomers to the group. "The nine of you are our first visitors. Thank you for coming. So to celebrate, here's some candy!" She tossed a piece to Kaito.

Kaito took his piece and with his magic, turned it into a full bag. "One piece? Let's try a bag," he said, returning it to Asuka.

"As expected of the great magician himself," she replied through telekinesis, to which Kaito nodded.

As Hazuki grabbed hers, the piece turned into a separated hand, pulling out a WELCOME sign. She held the gag up to her face causing her, Sapphire and Kumiko to freak out.

"You learn very, very well," Kaito said to Asuka through telekinesis. "I'm impressed."

"Honor is mine, great magician," she replied.

"Hey Asuka," asked Haruka Ogasawara, the band president and fellow third-year.

"What's that?"

"We agreed not to talk to the new students too much, didn't you listen. We don't want to scare them."

"Hey, I understand, but six of these newcomers are actually very important people of which I am not allowed to divulge the details. At least make them the exception. Their homeroom teacher also knows the details."

"Aren't you gonna let me know those details, though?"

"It's not up to me or her, but them to inform you. Let them do what they need to do. Cooperate, because, without leaking too much, the situation at this school is actually more serious than you think, and it would be best for you to not stick your nose in other people's business when its top secret."

"Top secret my foot, you're always like this...Asuka Tanaka."

"Well, I will admit..." Asuka said, turning the girls and the Trojans who had sheepish looks, "we did get to them."

"Our apologies, please make yourselves at home," Haruka said to the three girls, before turning to the Trojans.

"Nice to meet you all," Asuka added.

Haruka looked at Heiji. "Wait a minute," she said in though. "Tanned skin, those eyes, no way, it can't be him...IT JUST CAN'T BE HIM!"

Haruka was a fan of Heiji Hattori and even had a dakimakura of him naked with his boxers almost off in her bedroom. It was a dream of hers to finally see the geniune article and pry him away from Kazuha Touyama, but..here? In the music room, of all places, of all schools? Did Haruka Ogasawara suddenly hit the jackpot? A woman of historically low self-esteem, this could potentially be a life-saver!

"No, there are a lot of people that look like him, I gotta be seeing things," she said. "Get a hold of yourself and get back to reality and get back to work!" Besides...Kazuha was watching all this. She was on notice.

"Come on, let's go," Haruka said, pulling Asuka away. She didn't need any more distractions because a lot was at hand.

"Waaaaah," cried Asuka as she was being dragged to the front.

"Hmmm, there is some history to this group," said Shinichi, looking at a recent group photo of the band as the others warmed up. "Although...Kitauji Prefectural High isn't the sharpest tool in the shed these days."

"Bronze prize," Sapphire read.

Hazuki and Kumiko looked at Sapphire with looks of surprise. Then Hazuki looked at a pink device on one of the stands. "What's this square thing?" she asked.

"A tuner," Kumiko replied. "The people in this band tune their instruments with this to ensure perfect pitch."

"Is that so."

But a certain someone was hearing Kumiko talk. Her left ear twitched, acknowledging this. Asuka turned to the team. "So you're a beginner?" asked Asuka, Haruka watching in horror. "For the record, we welcome people of all skills."

"Um, yeah, I guess I am," Hazuki said, still holding the hand with candy.

"You are," chorused the Trojans.

"What else can I say, you're Trojans in my head!"

"And that's who we are," Shinichi said, the six posing. "We're the Trojans Group."

"A club within a club! How nice!" Asuka exclaimed. "I'll teach everything you need to know about playing brass instruments so you will get the flow in no time."

Haruka went to them, pouting. "A-su-ka...what did I say?"

"Fine, fine," she said, returning to the others.

"They remind me of Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS in terms of their aloofness," Shinichi said. "Two coin collecting Jews that did their job really well, garnered equal amounts of allies and enemies while bring cool in their own way by selling tons of records."

With a nod, Haruka turned to the band. "Everyone, tune in B-flat." A member of the band played a note, to which the others followed. "Trombone, your note, place it," she said as Kumiko and the others noticed. Unknown to the girls, Shinichi was secretly filming this for the team to study and analyze later that night at their hotel. Hazuki, though, was amazed.

"Horn, you're a bit off, listen to the note carefully," said Haruka to one of the horn players. Sapphire looked at Hazuki with a confused glare. After the band stopped their tuning, Haruka said, "I think we should do it again. Go ahead and use your tuners."

"Is there a problem?" asked Hazuki to Kumiko.

"They were a bit off."

"Yes, yes they were," Ran added, turning to the photo. "As advertised."

"You serious? Really? I mean, I didn't know that..."

And then the door opened. A beautiful girl with long black hair and purple eyes entered the room.

Kumiko noticed and she was shocked. "Kousaka-san?"

Shinichi turned to Kaito, who turned to Heiji, who turned to the others, who turned to Reina. "Person of Interest No. 4," they all said in unison in their heads. "Reina Kousaka."

Kumiko was about to lose it! She was about to lose it! This Trojan was in her head since the day she was born! How could she have followed her to this school? This was not real life! This was impossible! This was unimaginable! This was...this was...this was!

"EHHHHHHHHHHH!?" Kumiko wailed before closing her mouth, Hazuki looking at her with a confused look.

"Oh for fuck's sake," Kaito groaned before Aoko kicked him in the nuts. "Owwwww, sorry..."

"Excuse me," Reina said to the students.

"So you are here to visit?" Haruka asked her.

"No. I'm joining. Count me in."

Kumiko was on the verge of losing herself again as she closed her mouth, tears coming out of her eyes as she was about to scream. "Are you sure?" Haruka asked.

"You're in!" Asuka said. "Welcome to the concert band and make yourself at home! One of you, get a form and sign her up, she's ours. Now!"

"Now?" she asked.

"Yes, now, She's not running away from us. She's ours. Go!"

"But she isn't a cat or anything like that," said another member in rebuttal.

Sapphire walked to Hazuki and Kumiko and the Trojans, who were pantomiming passing the popcorn. "We better get out of here while we still can," Sapphire said to them. Kumiko nodded quickly as they hightailed. "We'll be on our way, Jimmy-kun," she told him, to which Shinichi nodded.

"Thank you for having us," the three of them said, leaving the Trojans to continue filming the meeting and talking with other members. Asuka flashed a spider lily, at which Kaito magically turned it into a bouquet, Asuka acknowledging with a nod.

"Christ..." Kumiko groaned.

"Anyway, she was a nice person, that girl," Sapphire said of Reina to Kumiko as they left the school. "You know her from somewhere?"

"No, no, no, no, actually...it's more like I used to be with her in the middle school band," Kumiko said.

"We get it, you know her," Hazuki said.

"No, not that well," she replied as they hit the street.

"That's it, huh?" asked Sapphire as Hazuki blew the petals still falling down from the Eastern skies above Uji City. Kumiko was deep in thought, thinking about that chance meeting as she blew a petal into the air. "But the band here wasn't um, you know...as good as I thought..."

"For real?" Hazuki said.

"I guess so. They are aiming for a prefectural silver. Second place."

"Silver would be good, right?" Hazuki asked.

"To go to the Kansai Competition or Nationals, you need to win gold," Sapphireexplained. "And it had to be a gold that allows you entry to the next stage because gold in itself is not enough, you have to qualify through a list, as ordered by the organizers of the qualifiers and in turn, the competiion."

"Explain more?"

"Every band competition has gold, silver and bronze prizes, but, as Sapphire said, the representatives are chosen from a list of those who won gold. We call it a "dud gold" if we win gold but are not selected," said Kumiko.

"Tough crowd, I take it?"

"Yes."

"Sorry to hear that. But you know what, if we join them," Hazuki said, "we might be able to turn this ship around and bring this school back to the glory days."

"It's not as easy as you think."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm in," Sapphire said, determined. "Music was a part of my life, is a part of my life and ultimately is who I am. So I have to make everyone proud and show the world that my life is a symphony."

"See what I mean?"

Kumiko, though, wasn't as convinced because Reina had already joined the band and joining would evoke those painful memories and she didn't want to witness history repeat itself. She knew Reina had suffered enough and that she didn't want to see her upset again.

"Look, music speaks to people's hearts, all throughout the world. Life is one big symphony, with its ups and downs, and as the main character of our life, we are the composers and the musicians. The world is a stage, and everyone plays their part, just like what Shakespeare said centuries ago. Music is a powerful language that anyone can speak. It transcends boundaries and barriers," Sapphire orated. "For those about to rock..." She raised a fist to the air, "we salute you!"

"Wait a minute, the signal isn't changing, is it?" Hazuki said.

"Crap! Forgot to press the button, forgot to press the button!" Sapphire pressed the button after flailing for the longest time.

"Come on, Sapphire-chan," Hazuki said.

"Midori, it's Midori."

"What about you, Kumiko?" asked Hazuki as she was about to board the train. "How about it? You joining us?"

"Me? I'm...I am...I'm not sure yet," she said with a head tilt.

"You serious!?" Hazuki exclaimed.

"Train's here," said Sapphire. "I'm heading this way. See you later."

"See you tomorrow," Kumiko said.

"Take care!" Hazuki added. So Kumiko and Hazuki both took the train out of town. "So now I get it," Hazuki said to her. "When you said they sucked, you meant the band was bad."

"You just noticed that?"

* * *

"Ah, all right, have a seat, all of you," said Asuka as the Trojans took their seats. The music room had cleared out, and it was just the seven of them. "Well, first off, I want to say that I know who you guys are. From left to right: Shinichi Kudou formerly known as Conan Edogawa, Ran Mouri, Heiji Hattori, Kazuha Touyama, the latter two bring locals here, Kaito Kuroba formerly known as Kaitou KId, and Aoko Nakamori. I personally welcome you to Kitauji Prefectural High School. I am Asuka Tanaka, the vice president of our concert band. A pleasure to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Tanaka," Shinichi said.

"Asuka will do."

"Asuka it is."

"Now I want to personally congratulate you on succeeding in your personal mission in defeating the Black Organization and destroying the Pandora Jewel and bringing peace to the world. I admit it wasn't easy, but you did what you needed to do and sacrificed so much. For this, I will be one of your lifelong fans and supporters."

"We get fans from all over the world," Ran said. "The world has our back."

"As expected. Now then, the reason you are all here is because a longtime ally of yours, and a personal friend of Shinichi tipped me and Ms. Matsumoto on this. Let me show you something." Asuka pressed a button and the backboard flipped horizontally to reveal a large HDTV. "She is going to debrief you on this." Asuka turned on a remote.

A voice. "Kudou-kun, Ran-san, Hattori-kun, Kazuha-san, Kuroba-kun, Aoko-san, members of the new Trojans Group, good afternoon to you all," she said.

"A...A...AI!?" Shinichi exclaimed.

"I am now my original self. I am Shiho Miyano."

"Shiho...it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Mmmm. Life has changed quite a bit after we made history, but things have settled down."

"Nee-chan, where are you?" asked Heiji.

"Hattori-kun, I'm in Seoul on sabbatical but only after I debriefed a few select people on my recent findings."

"So let's hear it," Kaito said.

"Very well, Kuroba-kun. As you well know, you have, by this point, met the four people of interest as indicated in the dossier. You know their identities and their backstory. Now, these four people are important for one reason."

"What is it?" Shinichi asked.

"Kudou-kun...Kumiko-san, Reina-san, Hazuki-san and Midori-san are tied together by the Red String of Fate, known as one of the rarest treasures that defines this country. They do not realize it because it cannot be seen by them or anyone, but they are bonded by the actual Red String of Fate. They own the geniune article."

"What does this mean?" Heiji asked.

"If they are troubled excessively, all of them, the Red String will be seen, and it will be vulnerable to being stolen by criminals coveting it, or destroyed. If either of these happens, a great calamity will destroy humanity and the four girls will also perish."

"Unbelievable..."

"So you need to protect them and ensure the happiness of these four, especially Kumiko-san and Reina-san. These two share the majority of the Red String and because they are in a troubled state, the string could be revealed at any given moment, so what must be done is that you watch over them and ensure that nothing happens to them."

"Sounds like a piece of cake..."

"Not really. There is a concern that some students might think that you are the heroes that defeated the Black Organization and your cover might be blown. No one except Asuka-san, Matsumoto-san and another person who will be revealed later must know but if you must divulge the details to the people of interest, make your time and determine when you can do so, but it is recommended that at this point, that is kept under wraps."

"Got it!" the six of them said.

"And also, these girls might have feelings for the six of you, and your bonds might come under attack. Infidelity can affect this mission greatly so know your role and play it well," Shiho said. "Hearts might be broken, but don't do it so that the Red String emerges and appears. Do you understand?"

"We do, nee-chan," Heiji replied.

"Thank you, Hattori-san. Thank you very much for accepting this mission because the final rewards is the final consent from all of your parents to be married and live your lives together. You will also learn a lot from this mission so do you best and don't mess up. The future of the world is at stake. It all comes down to you."

"We've done this numerous times in our lives, Shiho," Shinichi said. "Just leave it to us. Because we're the Trojans in your head."

"I like that band too, and that song. I'll go ahead and leave you guys alone. PSY's concert's in a few hours, I need to get going. Bye!"

"Bye," they all said.

"All right, now that you know the details, as part of the agreement, you are all members of the band," Asuka said.

"Some of us play non-band instruments," Shinichi said. "I do violin, Ran does piano."

"I'm starting to learn percussion, but I opt to use a studio drum set," Heiji said.

"I can do keyboard as well, although I'm not as good as Ran-chan," Kazuha added. "But I can learn other instruments on the fly."

"I wasn't a musician by trade; I am a magician," Kaito said. "I'm good, though, at playing any musical instrument but my preferred instrument is guitar, so I don't know if this is against any rules, but it might give your band an added dimension. Plus, I can also arrange music if necessary and add some visual effects to your shows."

"Brother here can do anything," Shinichi said. "However, he hates fish, cannot ice skate and sucks ass at billiards. Otherwise, he's good."

"Noted," Asuka said with a grin.

"I'm not good with instruments either, but I like playing bass guitar," Aoko said.

"A rock ensemble to go with our concert band," Asuka said. "At long last, I think this could be our year. So who would be on lead vocals?"

"I'm not a good singer, but I have perfect pitch and I love singing, so I can do lead vocals," Shinichi said.

"Backup vocals for us," said Kaito, Aoko and Ran.

"Settled," Asuka said. "With that, I think you guys are all dismissed. Be sure to order your instruments, and I need to order a special drum set for your, Heiji-kun, so that you're good to go. Good luck on this mission and have fun here. You may all be in college, but you're never too young to relive the glory days of your youth because you're only young once, and one truth prevails. Right, Detective Kudou?"

"Elementary!"

"See you all tomorrow. Dismissed."

"Trojans, heading off!" they all said, leaving Asuka to head back to their team hotel but not after ordering some instruments at a local shop and heading to the hotel to study the film, do ooursework and get shuteye. No kinky stuff tonght, there was going to be some work to be done for the next few months.

* * *

After a shopping run, the Trojans boarded the train to their hotel. "I get all these dreams of men fighting in the shade," Kazuha groaned. "Then I looked, and it's just young boys doing mud wrestling in fundoshi. Why? Why do I get such lewd thoughts of men?"

"Who knows, Kazuha," Heiji said. "It's part of your mindset. When you think too far ahead of the big picture and you can't tell the forest from the trees, those visions in your sleep will happen."

"What was your dream, Shinichi?" Ran asked him with a blush.

"I dreamt I turned into Conan and I suffocated with my head between your cleavage," he said.

"Really?" she blinked, an eyebrow raised.

"Really. Ran, I want to die for you, and die in your arms, but not that way, I don't want to go out a weirdo, I'm better than that."

"Try not to have those dreams again..." She then thought to herself. "Because...that was also my dream, and I was nearly unable to make breakfast with Aoko and Kazuha..." With a giggle, Ran and the others continued on their way, but a few others on the train were looking with suspicious looks, whispering, wondering, "Have we seen them before...?"

Not too far away, Kumiko was on a bench, underneath a sakura tree, overlooking a body of water. She contemplated about what happened the day prior. Overwhelmed by the complexity of the situation, she thrashed her head back, going so far as to slightly touch herself a bit, her imaginations running wild at the thoughts. Noticing Kumiko, the Trojans stopped and watched from a distance, having gone through the first motions.

"Why...?"

She was still on her mind. Reina! That ravenous beast with those cool purple eyes and that long black hair and that get-back stare! It all came in slow motion for her. That hungry woman was still on her mind! That wolf, as if to say, I need you back, even if I don't want you back and nothing else will matter to me in this world because I don't care anymore. Reina had the fortitude to join this band of no-hopers without hesitation, as if she knew something Kumiko didn't. Or didn't she?

"Kousaka-san was there..."

Shinichi, being a clever detective, and Heiji, being clever himself, and even Kaito, being clever himself, were ahead of both of them in terms of putting the pieces together.

"She should be at Rakushu or Rikka, or somewhere like that." Those were rival schools with bands that Kumiko felt were proper in terms of competitive quality. They had gone far in their own right over the years, she thought as she sipped a coffee to clear her mind. "Damn it, damn it all to hell. I wish someone would end me now."

"Something wrong?" asked a man approaching her, startling Kumiko.

"Oh, Shuichi, it's you." Kumiko continued to sip her coffee.

"Huh?" Shuichi Tsukamoto didn't understand what was going on. "You know, we go way back since we were kids. At least say 'Hi.' And we're in the same school, too."

"Hmmm?" She wasn't listening.

"So you're tying your hair back?"

"I guess I am..."

"By the way, I saw Reina Kousaka the other day. I didn't know that...that was her. We chatted for a bit, and then she was looked at another of the new faces and was smiling, for some reason that I don't know. Maybe she knows that person from somewhere, but I haven't got a clue. Anyway, you seem to be dragging this morning. Something happened?"

"You told me not to talk to you, so I'm holding my end of the bargain and not talking to you," Kumiko said.

"What do you mean?"

"You said in the third year of our junior high year, and I quote, 'Quit talking to me you ugly girl,' Isn't that right?"

"Oh, you know why? Because here's the thing: you asked me, 'Are you eating at my place tonight?' in front of everybody at school. That wasn't the place for you to do it."

Kumiko noticed something. "Oh crap, I don't have time for this. Sorry, I'm going home." She took her bag and left.

"Hey, Oumae-san, what are you gonna do about the clubs?"

She turned to her. "I haven't decided yet."

"Not the band?"

"What about you?"

He pointed at himself. "Me? Really, it isn't like there's anything else I want to do. So I'm joining the band."

"All right..." And then she realized...Reina's tears of sorrow. No, not that again! Anything but that! "I am...I'm not joining..."

"What?"

"I was thinking of joining but I decided not to do so."

"But why?"

"Just because." And then she left. "Bye!"

"What in the world..."

A voice. "Yo, aniki!" It was Heiji with the others, walking to him.

"A...aniki?" He turned around. "Hey, you're the new guys joining the band. And you're also the exchange students from America. Shuichi Tsukamoto is my name. I'm a first year."

"Harley Hartwell," he said, shaking his hand. "There are my friends, Kirsten Thomas, Rachel Moore, Jim Kudou, Kenton Crowe and Ally Macklemore."

"Ally?" Aoko asked, a sweatdrop on her head.

"Jim?" Shinichi blinked.

"Play along," he whispered to them.

"Right," they said.

"So, how do you like Japan?" he asked Heiji.

"I think I am living the dream of being an exchange student. It's an experience that I will remember for as long as I live."

"Well, I wanted to speak," Shinichi said. "So, we were hearing what you and Kumiko Oumae were saying, and we have some bad news to tell you. We're letting you know this now so that you are not disappointed down the road."

"What?" Shuichi said. "Bad news? What could this be, I need to know."

"Based on facts we gathered from other people we've met in the short time we've been here, we have come to the conclusion...that Kumiko Oumae is the woman you need, but the woman you don't deserve."

"Huh? Are you kidding me? What is the meaning of this? Are you joking or something?" Shuichi wondered.

"Tsukamoto-kun," said Ran, "Words can hurt people. What you said to her not to long ago affected her to the point that she did not want to deal with you anymore."

"You can't call women ugly in this day and age, you just can't," Kazuha said. "That's an absolute crime against women in general and if you said that to Ra-er, Rachel, she'd kick your ass. You dig your own grave when you say those things. Show respect to the opposite gender, it's 2015, for crying out loud."

"You need to be very careful with what you say to people because they will remember it and they will hold it against you at their own discretion," Kaito said. "It doesn't matter who, you just can't insult anyone without paying the price."

"And I don't think you ever apologized to her about this and even if you did, she still wouldn't forgive you because it's been that long," Aoko added.

"But I know there still has to be a chance," Shuichi said. "You have to give me reason to believe."

"Actually, there's another reason why Kumiko-chan is someone you don't deserve," Kazuha said.

"Huh?"

"Have you heard of this thing called the Red String of Fate?" asked Shuichi in his thinking pose.

"I heard it from an old wives' tale or something..."

"Anyway, the Red String of Fate, a part of our culture for centuries, connects people that are destined to spend the rest of their lives together. By insulting Kumiko at your old school, you severed the Red String of Fate. A new one has been made, and it is connected to someone else?"

"Who?"

"We will not tell you, even though we already know who. Our lips our sealed."

"That thinking pose, though. Hold on a minute..." Shuichi looked at the six of them. His eyes bulged. "Oh my God, don't tell me...are you guys the people from-MMMMMMMMF!"

"Are you crazy, aniki?" Heiji said. "Stop talking for a minute." He shut his mouth. "Looks like you know who we are."

"No, I mean, I'm honored that you all are here but...why?"

"There is a massive reason why, but it's classified information," Ran said.

"Come to think of it, you don't even look like high school students..."

"We graduated. We're first year college students studying online, but that's all you really need to know. Do not tell anybody who we really are because you, Shuichi Tsukamoto, are going to regret it," Kazuha said. "Everybody at this school is familiar with our legacy, we don't need you to do this to us, we're on assignment. Got it?"

"Um...yeah..."

"As for Kumiko, you can only treat her like a little sister, but no further than that," Aoko said. "She doesn't hate you completely, but if both of you can bury the hatchet and be on each other's side in a brother-sister way, you'll have closure for what happened last year."

"That's our deductions," Shinichi said.

"I'll take your word it, of course, because I now know who you are," Shuichi said. "Thank you for coming to our school, we're honored, really. And I hope you enjoy playing in our band. You got your instruments, too."

"Except for my drums, they're in the music room," Heiji said. "I only brought my sticks," He twirled one of them, whistling "Streets of Cairo."

"So we bid you farewell, let's do our best, Shuichi-kun," Kaito said.

"Let's do this," he said, shaking the hands of the team.

"Bye!" said the Trojans, leaving him.

"Hmmmph. Those Trojans," said Shuichi to himself as he watched the six of them walk down the path, chatting amongst themselves. "They're in my head."

* * *

"Hey, everyone, I'm home, hello," said Kumiko back at her family apartment. One thing about her was that she liked drinking healthy beverages. She had a penchant for smoothies filled with lots of vitamins and fruit and she made her own blends from scratch. As she drank one that resembled a V8 while closing the fridge, her mom, Akiko, greeted her.

"Welcome home," Akiko said. "How's things? How's the school?"

"The usual," she replied.

"Your sister is home, by the way." That was Mamiko Oumae. Akiko, Mamiko, Kumiko, all commonly shared.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep. You gonna help me fix dinner?"

"Sure." But first, she decided to go upstairs and fall on her pink comforter to think about everything. She thought about a lot of things, but for some reason, she was also thinking about those new students that she met, her new friends from America. Something dawned in the back of her head.

"Those faces...I swear to God that I have seen them before...especially...that person with all the magic tricks..." When she was younger, Mamiko would show Kumiko her collection of Magic Kaito light novels and tankoubon. She loved the legacy of Kaito Kuroba and so did Kumiko. The romance, the comedy, the action...it was something that symphonies were all about. Love, heartbreak, reconciliation. She also fell in love with all works related to Detective Conan. She watched episodes of the reality show and even watched the end of the Black Organization on television. Kumiko always believed that if she had a younger brother, he would be a smart and as gentlemanlike as Conan Edogawa. That was a boy that no one could dislike because all mothers in Japan aspired to have men with brilliant minds like that of Conan.

And yet, meeting those new faces that entered her life at Kitauji was unique in that...there was something more to this. She didn't know it, but she had a feeling that something bigger than her was about to take shape. And Reina, that person in her life that she wanted to run away from for so long, was going to play a big role in it. Either that, or it was just her imagination being her imagination, toying with her mind like Reina did in her dreams when she was bored and had nothing else to do.

"The band, huh?" she said to herself, still in thought. Eventually, she couldn't help her mother at all and elected to sleep. Outside, the Trojans, walking back to their hotel, passed by the residence. Kaito could see Kumiko snoring from a distance and smiled.

"Good night, sweet princess," Kaito said.

"Hurry up, Kaito, we'll leave you behind!" Aoko said, dragging her by the collar.

"Yeah, yeah, just don't ruin my gakuran, jeez..."

The thought of Reina in that shameful fetal position with all those tears crossed Kumiko's mind again as she slept.

"Did you really think we could make Nationals, Kousaka-san?"

"...!"

"Shuichi did me wrong, I did Kousaka-san wrong, everything comes around, doesn't it?" Kumiko thought to herself. Something dawned on her as she sat up. She stood up and decided to have a talk.

"I didn't mean in a bad way," said Kumiko, talking to her pet cactus. "I just say whatever's on my mind because I have an opinion of everything in this world I live in. That's me. That's who I am. And I was actually happy we won gold back then.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Mamiko asked her.

"Huh!?"

"Hey, you even wore a ponytail. Pretty nice. But you seem to be trying a bit too hard for the first day. It's only Day 1, you know."

"Shut up, I don't want to hear that from you. Besides, you need to ask before you open the door. You're supposed to be my older sister and already have manners and set an example, what's gotten into you?"

"Whatever you say. By the way, I think I saw some people pass by the apartment that looked almost...famous...I thought I saw Shunichi, Heiji and Kaito and their wives pass by."

"HUH!? To add insult to...onee-chan, you mean to tell me that the people from that reality show passed by here? Why didn't you flag them down, I wanted to take a selfie with them! We're fans, don't you remember!?"

"Yeah, but...upon further review I decided that they were just cosplaying and they were fans themselves of those folks because they're really just fictional heroes," Mamiko said, her red lipstick shining like a flame.

"Onee-chan! You're always screwing things up, come on now! You could have at least tried to ask them, right? I mean, you're in college and you don't even make an effort to do the simplest of things! You're hopeless!"

"Okay, excuse me for talking to you with your hot head, I have to be on my way, not gonna be in an argument with you," Mamiko closed the door. However, she did have one more thing to say. "I forgot, one more thing."

"What is it now, God damnit! I told you I wanted my door closed!"

"Be honest with me," Mamiko said, her red eyes telling no lies. "Are you quitting playing in the concert band?"

"Not this again..." she thought to herself. "Why?" she asked.

"Why? Why are you quitting? You're at Kitauji. And I don't need to say anything else." Finally, Mamiko closed the door, leaving Kumiko in thought.

"Quitting, huh?" There was a voice in her head as she looked at all her books.

* * *

 _"I'm not gonna run away anymore from her. I have to protect her happiness, like I had always done back then. Avoiding fate at this point in my life is a waste of time. Enough of this. I'm taking off all the thoughts of what had been...of what we've been...right now."_

* * *

"Kitauji...a high school known for its concert band, long regarded as one of the historical musical powerhouses of Kyoto and of the Kansai," read Shinichi on his dossier back at the hotel over a team dinner cooked by the ladies. "It has won numerous awards, toured all of the six major continents and even marched at the Tournament of Roses Parade through the Green Band."

"The record speaks for itself, folks," Heiji said, sipping some hot tea. "Reina-san decided to join because she wanted to be with a team that just won't lose and won't lose if she in it because to avenge what happened last year."

"Let me ask all of you this question," said Kaito. "Why would Kumiko hold out like this for this long? Does she not realize how good she has it now? See,she has no idea about the history of this program. Apparently Reina has done the research and enrolled at Kitauji because of the band. She thinks that the bronze they won was an aberration. Moreover, she hates losing and things she's got a winner. We think joining them may help them in a lot of ways."

"And Kumiko's reasons are different," Shinichi snickered. "The uniform and a fresh start."

"That disintegrated quickly, didn't it?" Ran said, laughing.

"Which means to tell me that's it's inevitable that Kumiko's gonna backflip on her balk, it's just a matter of when. The holdout may end as quickly as tomorrow but if it goes beyond that, she would need some Herculean fortitude to have it extend a third day because of the Red String."

"I guess we'll just have to wait until tomorrow to see if she changes her mind, y'all," Heiji said, eating some omurice.

"But first, eat, study, sleep. We're college students," Ran reminded them all.

"Riiiiight," they all said.

"That's what she said," Heiji said.

"That's what she said," Shinichi and Kaito concurred.

* * *

The beauty that was Byodo-In Temple beamed with a blaze of glory. A rabbit water fountain beamed its emerald hue as a man decided to clap his hands and pray for peace and for good things coming to him.

"I wanna see, I wanna see," said a passer by to her husband.

"So, which one has better luck, sue-kichi or kichi?" he asked as they both passed the man.

"Sue-kichi, I think..."

WIth his deep black-rimmed glasses and resolve that cut stronger than steel, Noboru Taki was someone that already knew the details regarding the operation and so he would adjust his game plan to not only suit the band he was about to work with, but also the greatest crimebusting team in Japan that was celebrated around the world but was forced to go undercover.

"Both of you, from the top, dai-kichi, chu-kichi, shou-kichi, kichi, han-kichi, sue-kichi, sue-shou-kichi," Noboru said to the couple. "Therefore, kichi is better." Noboru's mind was on par with that of Heiji, Shinichi and Kaito, making him a great fit to work with.

"Thank you very much," the man said.

"I see," said the woman.

"Thanks to you, I feel like getting a fortune myself." As he picked up his wallet, his smartphone was about to fall off. And as it did, he noticed that it was playing an archive of the prefectural competition piece for his old school, Daikichiyama North Junior High. Reina's old school. Kumiko's old school. "Oh, no...I have to be on way. Excuse me, sorry."

"A sports festival?" asked the man.

"Heaven and Hell, was it?" recalled the woman, hearing the tune.

"Correction: Orpheus in the Underworld," said Noboru. "Nice piece worth listening to. You should try it sometime. All right, then, I will see you later." He bowed to them and he was on his way, looking towards the sky. With a swipe, he continued to play the song.

Kumiko was in her room, deep in thought, studying old notations. Not too heavy, conductor, keep staccato light. As the memories of her past began to mold her future, she didn't realize that these same notations were being examined by the Trojans and that they were also researching some ways to compose original arrangements of other famous numbers and pop songs. It was determined by the Trojans that they would not only arrange traditional numbers with the top brass of the concert band and the new teacher soon to arrive, but that they would also perform popular numbers through their own arrangements. With Kaito's multitalented potential, this team was making waves quietly behind the scenes.

Kumiko looked up. She had visions of many great Detective Conan scenes, many different acts of heroism and bravery. So much had happened in that reality show as it ended its run. Those visions gave way to the stars in the sky above the morning sun, which showed what looked like a faint red stream of light cutting through the grain. and clouds over the heart of the Kansai. The performance of Orpheus In The Underworld was the final piece they played over in the hall on that fateful day.

Noboru drove down the highway in his vintage white automobile as the applause following that piece took place, wondering himself about the next step in his life. He was young, a prodigy, but with a lot to look forward to because he had so many more things to do as a student, as a lifelong disciple of music.

Kumiko went back to the bed, still dazed in thought about the perfomance that lifted her spirit high, only to pierce her alive. In her right hand were her notes. From a distance, Kaito felt the comeback vibes overcome Kumiko. He nodded to Shinichi, who nodded to Heiji, who nodded to the girls, and to which there were smiles all around.

* * *

Thursday, April 2, 2015 was the second day of the new school year as the cherry blossoms continued to fall. Kumiko decided to ditch the ponytail. This was the hairstyle that would define her legacy. She definitely would pass for somebody from Alabama. The problem is, she'd have to actually be fluent in English and speak the local dialect. Given that she was a Kansai girl like Reina, she was getting there.

"Even though this school is full of ditzy people," Heiji said as the six Trojans left the hotel to pass by the Oumae residence, it's full of awesome women. Why are Kansai women so beautiful? It must be a crime for this region to be world-class when it comes to the moe."

"Stop," Ran, Shinichi, Aoko and Kaito said.

"Sorry, I had too much coffee..."

"And a shot of bourbon to boot," Kazuha snarked.

"What did you expect, the landlady here, Miss Meika Daihatsu...she not only likes to wear her panties out in the open but she likes to drink. She snuck a bottle in and I needed to taste it. It was straight outta Rocky Top!"

"One more drink and I'm sending you flying down the hall, got it Heiji?"

"Kazuha, yes, ma'am, I'll abstain."

"Good boy..."

Back at the residence, Kumiko drank a glass of milk, intent of having her bust size increase to an ideal proportion. "Hey, are you eating?" asked Akiko, pointing to breakfast.

"No," she said. She wasn't craving breakfast. She was craving something else: reconciliation. As she left, she saw the Trojans waiting at the door. Looking at Kaito, she winked and smiled. Kaito looked at the others, who nodded and allowed Kumiko to lead the way. They followed her to the station.

"So you're with me now?" asked Kumiko to the six of them.

"Yep," Kaito said.

"You're Kenton right?"

"Yes."

"You live close by, so that doesn't surprise me. You know, I was wondering...you all remind me of some famous people."

"Who, may I ask?" Shinichi asked.

"People like, uh...Shinichi Kudou, Conan Edogawa, Ran Mouri, uh, Heiji Hattori, Kazuha Touyama, Kaito Kuroba and Aoko Nakamori, for example."

They were in disbelief. "She couldn't have found this out already?" he asked Heiji via telekinesis.

"If she finds out, we're fucked, aniki!"

"Actually, we don't know those people cause we are foreigners," Kaito said. "I don't even know why people associate us with people that we ourselves aren't familiar with."

"Forget I said anything, I just think out loud," Kumiko said.

"Like the Ed Sheeran song?" He sang. "And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70. And, baby, my heart could still fall as hard at 23."

Shinichi went on. "And I'm thinking 'bout how people fall in love in mysterious ways, maybe just the touch of a hand. Well, me - I fall in love with you every single day. And I just wanna tell you I am..."

Heiji sang. "So honey now, take me into your loving arms. Kiss me under the light of a thousand stars, place your head on my beating heart, I'm thinking out loud..."

"Maybe we found love right where we are," sang the boys. All of a sudden, Kumiko related the lyrics to Reina's feelings for her and how she thinks out loud.

"Can you guys knock it off, you're making Kumiko-chan uncomfortable," Ran said, pointing to her.

"Sorry," said the Trojan boys, pouting. The day went rather quickly, with the six of them being spontaneous in doing schoolwork and answering questions. Everyone in class were amazed at the intelligence of the Trojans. The boys liked the girls, and the girls liked the boys. But Kumiko was determined to put her demons to bed.

Looking up skywards towards the heavens, she wondered that question Reina asked her at the concert hall, "Does God even exist?" She sometimed shared the same thoughts as Reina did. She believed that a higher power did not discriminate and judge on who anyone should fall in love with. That was her philosophy. That was her schtick. Next to her, Sapphire and Hazuki were practicing blowing, while across from them, the Trojans were playing another game of poker while munching on their made-from-scratch bento. As college students, they made their own meals.

Kumiko turned to Hazuki, who practiced blowing a tuba reed. "This isn't working," said Hazuki. "This isn't working at all...what do, what do, what do?"

"What!?" Kumiko said, shocked. "Where the hell did you get that!?"

"I bought it,"

"Bought it? You actually bought it?"

"Yeah, just this, for no. With help from the Magician Guy across from you."

"Crowe-san?" Grinning, Kaito flashed a thumbs-up. As they were making their way to the music room yesterday, Kaito gave Hazuki some cash to eventually buy a new instrument. Geniune bills, made with magic. "God damnit...sigh! Too early for that, Hazuki. You're putting the horse before the carriage cause you didn't even choose an instrument yet!"

"What was that?" she asked with a head tilt, blinking.

"How do you play it?" asked Sapphire. hands clasped. "Because I used to play contrabass."

"Oh sweet baby butter Jesus, how did two airheads like you become my friends in the first place?"

"As the aircraft carrier Akagi from KanColle would say," snarked Shinichi to the Trojans as an aside. "Jyoujou Ne."

"Just as planned," Heiji said in English.

"Please teach me, Master," said Sapphire to Kumiko.

"On the spot, ouch," Kaito said.

"You seem to be enjoying this," Aoko snarked.

"I enjoy life."

"Um, well, here's how it goes," Kumiko said. She put two fingers to her lips. "Your lips, like this..."

* * *

 _"Make your lips vibrate, like this. vvvvvvvv..." That what what she was taught at a young age years ago, in grade schoo, by Mamiko, a trombonist and a college student that was perfoming for a brass ensemble._

 _"vvvvvvv..."_

 _"So try it with the mouthpiece. Try it."_

 _"Okay..."_

 _A faint sound for now._

 _"Not bad, that's a start," Mamiko said, shining up her brass._

* * *

Even though there were times she was at odds with her, Mamiko WAS still her big sister. She was the one then, and she was the one now. And her advice were precepts that she brought with her to this school. Unsurprisingly, the Trojans had a dossier on Mamiko that included this information but they considered her to be a non-factor in the mission.

Kumiko heard a murmuring noise that startled her. At least Hazuki was still trying. "Hey, you're right, it worked!" she said. "I have no doubt, what do you think, did it work?"

"Yeah," Kumiko determined that Hazuki was starting out after all, so she didn't want to keep her hopes down.

"Awwww yeah, I made a sound, I am a pro already! Hey now! Hey now! Hey now!"

"So how did you do it?" asked Sapphire.

"Good Lord, if I know!"

"That reminds me, Kumiko-chan," she said to her.

"Yeah?"

"Do you want to finally join the concert band with us?" Hazuki looked at her as if to say, "Please say yes!"

Kumiko was still in thought, but she was close to making a decision. Hazuki and Sapphire were concerned she did not make up her mind yet. She smiled, and she said, "Okay, I'm joining."

"Really?" asked Hazuki.

"Yeah, really."

"Yay!" Sapphire exclaimed.

Kaito snapped his fingers and produced two bottles of cider and poured some glasses for the Trojans.

"Uh, guys, you're not supposed to bring alcohol to the school," Kumiko told Shinichi and the others.

"It's apple cider," they said, holding up their glasses.

"Poi," added Aoko.

"Ahahahahaahh, never mind, drink up," Kumiko said.

"Everyone," Shinichi said, "Charge your glasses." They did. "Let's raise a toast to the health of the Kitauji Prefectural High School Concert Band, the Best Damn Band In the Land of the Rising Sun!"

"Kampai!" they said, clinking their glasses and finishing the bottles as the cherry blossom petals continued to rain down.

Later that day, Kumiko was in the washroom, about to exit. She was careful not to blow her cover, gulping. The Trojans, with the blessing of the women, were looking at the four of them. The four girls turned to the transfer students, and they all turned to Shinichi.

"This is the start of the rest of our lives. And so the next piece begins, because you're Trojans in my head,' Shinichi said, posing in iconic fashion, the others behind him looking on.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER 2**


	3. Take A Look, Hesitate

**Trojans**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Take A Look, Hesitate**

* * *

Well, Daikichiyama was Noboru Taki's old school, for half a year at least. He started off as an assistant but then was pulled away by a different school and had done plenty of traveling. But there was a part of him that wanted to hear their music again, as if something was pulling for him to help revive the morale of some of the students that would await him at Kitauji Prefectural High School.

"Washrooms..." Shinichi Kudou mused to himself with the five others.

"What about them?" asked Ran Mouri.

"I have deducted that washrooms are a big plot device in this story. When girls are nervous about big news, they are hiding in the washroom. Kumiko was hiding in the washroom away from Reina because she didn't want to be seen."

"You seem to know us ladies too well."

"Elementary, my dear Ran."

"We have got to get those two together, aniki," asked Heiji Hattori.

"Who?" asked Kazuha Touyama.

"Person of Interest No. 1 and Person of Interest No 4."

"We know," they all said.

"But how are we going to do it?" Kaito said. They all chatted amongst themselves a plan to rebuild the fractured relationship between the two girls that were bound by that artifact, the Red String of Fate that kept the world at peace. And they did over yet another round of Texas Hold' Em, with Kazuha winning hand after hand.

Speaking of which, Reina Kousaka was back at the ladies washroom near class 1-3, cleaning herself up. Kumiko was about to go in, and thanks to the gadgets that Professor Hiroshi Agasa gave them prior to their trip to Uji City, Shinichi was able to listen in on the action.

Kumiko thought about calling Reina casually. "Hey, Reina-chan!" she would say to her. "Look, I know we had some problems in middle school, but we're in high school, so I hope things are much better." And the ideal response would be, "You got it, I'm on your side." A handshake and a hug, and onwards, upwards and forwards. Kumiko was sure of it. Actually, that was what Reina was hoping would happen as well.

"In a perfect world," Kaito said, dealing some cards to the five Trojans back at the classroom, "people with fractured relationships tend to be instrospective and realize that bad feelings can't last forever. In our world, prideful hearts and brazen desires for revenge and retribution destroy red strings of fate in every city, in every town and country. It's a universal phenomenon that adds to the decline of humanity."

Sapphire Kawashima and Hazuki Katou were looking on, wondering if Kumiko can finally get to her. "My goodness, she is one awkward girl," Sapphire told Hazuki. "What an absolute creep-a-holic." Kumiko turned around, forcing the two girls to change their mind. "Come on, Kumiko-chan, you can do it!"

"Hurry up, the teacher's waiting, make it quick, come on!" Hazuki added.

"This won't end well," Heiji said with a yawn before laying his cards on the table. "Full House. My win."

"Get out of here, ughhhh," Kazuha said. "I only got a three of a kind."

Kumiko stammered. "Um, Kousaka-san, I..." Reina ignored her as she went on her way.

"What the hell was that, cheerful?" Hazuki said to her, Sapphire following.

"You said, and I quote, 'Midori-chan and Hazuki-chan, I'm talking to Kousaka-san today,' you said this," Sapphire added.

Kumiko scratched the back of her short brown hair. "I know..."

"What's going on?"

"I just don't know...I'll talk to her during club, today."

"And you said that yesterday as well, missy!" Hazuki retorted, turning her around and pushing her. "Come on, let's go!"

"Wait, Hazuki-chan, don't make me run down the hall!"

"Kumiko! Time waits for no one! ¡Va-mo-nos! ¡Andale, andale!"

"And why are you speaking Spanish?" Hazuki's relatives did spend some time in Tijuana, learning some crude words on the way back. "Ahh!" Hazuki pushed Kumiko towards Reina.

"Hey, are you all right?" she asked her.

She got up. "Ahh, yeah, yeah, see, see, I'm fine as can be? Isn't it great to know that Japan is an awesome place? Ahahahahah! Viva life!"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"I am fine, 9001% percent! See, my A-O-K level is over 9,000! Come on, you know how, er, what it is...black and yellow, black and yellow..."

"I guess so, I'll take your word for it." Hazuki was praying for divine intervention. But then, Reina went the other way. She took a sideways glance at Class 1-3 and noticed one of the students with the bowl cut and look her in the eyes.

Shinichi looked at Reina and she looked at him. "Have we...have we met before?" Reina wondered.

"It's fine if you know...it's also fine if you don't...make up your mind, Reina Kousaka!" Shinichi thought to himself.

She did. All she did was flip her hair, smile, nod, and take off after also looking at Ran. She had to believe that they were here again and they tracked her down, but she didn't know why just yet. It was two weeks into the new year and for the most part, very few people knew who the Trojans really were and those that did kept their mouths shut.

However, the Trojans were still finding a way to get Reina and Kumiko to build their ties again and they were getting frustrated. Kumiko was feeling the pain as well on her end. "She really thinks I've gone off the deep end this time, I don't blame her," Kumiko told the others.

"What if I told you that you have the key and she holds the lock?" asked Kaito to her.

"I've never met Raku or Kosaki or Chitoge, even though I do chat with Haru every now and then."

"They would know a lot about keys and locks, if you recall."

"True. But anyway, Kousaka-san really think I'm a weird girl."

"If you have low self-esteem, Kumiko, it will end you," Shinichi replied.

"Touche."

"You didn't talk to her properly, what did you expect her to do?" Hazuki said.

"I'm putting the blame on you, Hazuki-chan, you ass."

"Oh, so you're throwing me under the bus because I tried to help you win back your woman. Scoundrel!"

"Ladies, let's be nice here," Kaito said, handing those two and Sapphire some cinnamon rolls. "In the words of Shakira, 'No fighting.' Unless it's for an anti-criminal investigation or in the name of acting."

"Thanks, Kuroba-kun," Sapphire said.

"Anytime, Midori."

"Anyway, do you want Midori and I to act as mediators?" Hazuki asked her.

"Nice idea, you're on it because that's what we were thinking," Shinichi said.

"You, if we tell her you want to apologize for what happened last year, things might change."

"You want ME to apologize for something that was out of our control? I was only being realistic to her, the field was tough and we didn't have any control over our destiny," Kumiko explained. "If I had the power, we win the Kansai competition and she has nothing against me because we at least took part in Nationals. How they did things is screwed up, because it is what it is. Seriously, Hazuki-chan, you need to hear me out on this because this stuff's important."

"So you're not going to apologize?" Sapphire said.

"That is going be a dumb move for this reason," Kaito said, "nothing will change and the relationship that both of you have will remain fractured, so you have to take a stand and take the lead." He thought to himself. "Besides both of you need to anyway...because...the world will..."

"Sure, maybe I shouldn't have said such things, but I don't think that's something that needs to be said because no one expected us to make it to Nationals anyway. The field was too tough. Here's why Kousaka-san's a precious cinnamon roll, you guys." She held up hers as an example.

"Let's hear it, neechan," Heiji said.

"Okay, the reason why Kousaka-san is a precious cinnamon roll is that she is so unusual in that after I told her the news, she was bawling her eyes out. We won gold and she cried. Highest honors, and she was in tears."

Shinichi remembered that incident and so did Ran. They were there, Kumiko didn't know it, but they were at the Kyoto Concert Hall and they gave Reina some congratulatory flowers and words of encouragement, telling her nothing like this would happen again. Shinichi and Ran looked at each other, nodding before turning to the three girls.

"Well, I can assume that there really isn't anything to worry about," Hazuki said.

"Easy for you to say," Kumiko replied. "All right, I get it."

"There you go," Sapphire said. "Look, it'll work out. She can't be mad at you forever."

"And I can deduct that Reina-san knows you more than Midori-san and Hazuki-san combined so there's reason to believe that things will turn out okay because you two are close," Heiji added, Kazuha nodding

"But man, it still hurts to think about that..." Kumiko said, despairing.

Kaito held up one cinnamon roll, and held up another, and fused them. "Two," he said.

"You're such a pain in the cat's pajamas, get over it already, it's 2015!" Hazuki snapped.

* * *

A few minutes later, Shinichi looked at his watch. "Music room a go go!"

"Music roooooom!" Kaito sang as Kumiko, Hazuki, Sapphire and the Trojans went inside. The Trojans were carrying their instruments and the drum set was already in the room, with Heiji twirling his sticks idly.

"So, it looks like we're choosing instruments today, right?" Hazuki said to Kumiko and Sapphire before turning to the Trojans. "I know you guys already penciled out your choices."

"We did," said Shinichi, pointing to his guitar.

"Sticking to contrabass, Midori-chan?" she asked Sapphire.

"You got it."

"Contrabass aficionado, huh?" Kumiko said.

"Contrabass is love, contrabass is life. If it came down to it, I'd bet my life on it!"

Kaito sang. "So I, I bet my liiiiiiife, I bet my liiiiiiife..."

"I BET MY LIFE ON YOUUUUUU!" sang Kaito, Shinichi and Heiji in unison, triggering laughter from the women.

"That's what she said," Hazuki said. "So are you staying on euphonium, Kumiko-chan?"

"Eh? Why do you ask that?"

"What do you mean 'why,' I mean come on! It's YOUR instrument."

"Oh, that's right, I can apply for a different instrument, too."

"If you say so..."

"So you're switching?" Sapphire asked. The Trojans looked at each other as if to say, "Reina was right, she's gone off the deep end."

"I am switching, it might be nice for a new change of pace," Kumiko said.

"This won't end well," Heiji said to the Trojans via telekinesis.

"Don't worry, bro, this is going to plan," replied Kaito.

"How?" asked Aoko.

"Just watch."

"I'm thinking, I wanted to try the trombone," said Kumiko, deep in thought.

Shinichi pulled out his tablet, pressed play and it displayed a clip of Kumiko back in grade school from the archives of the dossier. "We don't have a euphonium player,: said the teacher, "Would anyone like to play?" He stopped the clip and turned to Kumiko after putting away the tablet.

"As the story goes, I was on euphonium," Kumiko recalled, "and no one else wanted to play it so I even ended up playing it back in junior high."

"So do you still want the trombone?" asked Sapphire.

"How about saxophone? Maybe the sax would be nice! Hmmmm..."

"No trumpet. I got that down," Hazuki said. "The reed is here in my hand." She held it up.

"Wait, about that piece, that is..."

"Come on, the others are already head of us!" Hazuki, Sapphire and Kumiko followed the Trojans to the music room.

"So you haven't told her, Midori-chan?" she asked Sapphire.

"Speak for yourself, you didn't either."

"Guilty as charged."

* * *

"All right," said Ms. Michie Matsumoto. "The new advisor, Mr. Taki, will be starting tomorrow. You'll get all the details from him." She turned to Shinichi. "And Detective," she said through telekinesis, "you know that he also knows your mission and the objectives so work with him on getting it done." Shinichi flashed a thumbs-up. "So, you need to act like professional high school students and follow the dress code accordingly. Also, be sure to work hard on your club activities because this is the most storied organization on this campus. Dismissed." As she left, she gave one final nod to the Trojans, who returned the nod.

With a collective groan, the band went to their spots and got set up, the Trojans getting to their stations to do some tuning. "Ms. Michie's the vice advisor," Hazuki said. "This is worse luck than Mexico winning the Gold Cup for a seventh time at the expense of the USA finishing fourth."

"Are you guessing that?" Heiji said.

"No, I just wanted to try my deduction skills because I have some Detective Conan novels at home." The Trojans looked at each other with nervous laughter. "She on our case," they said.

"That surprised us all," said Sapphire.

"I wonder what Mr. Taki looks like," Kumiko said.

Kaito looked at her thinking, "Better keep your distance...he's older than you..."

"Okay people, let's set up," Haruka Ogasawara said. "We need to assign instruments to people. I am club president Haruka Ogasawara, a third-year student of this school, and I play baritone sax so if you are doing the saxophones, you're working with me up close. Now then."

"Hey everybody, it's my turn!" Asuka Tanaka said. "Okay, who wants to play bass? Not the electric bass, since someone else already has it," she said, pointing to Aoko.

"Hold on, get your ass back there," Haruka said, pushing Asuka aside for a moment, triggering some laughter and a rimshot sound effect from Heiji. "As I would imagine, there are a number of beginners here. We'll start by introducing the instruments." Gather at the instrument you wish to play. Our six new exchange students brought their own instruments and are exempt. By the way, you will need to audition for the popular instruments in the lineup."

Hazuki and Sapphire pumped their fists, encouraged.

"Start with the trumpet."

A member of the trumpet section entered the front. "Trumpet section leader, Kaori Nakaseko, a third-year student of this school. Good afternoon." Applause.

"Kaori-sempai is a darling, without a doubt!" exclaimed second-year student Yuuko Yoshikawa.

"One more rival to deal with," her friend said with the twintails. "Are you fine with this?"

"Sure!"

"The first-year students also will go over the moon for her."

"Within the brass, the trumpet plays a leading role in the direction of the band," said Kaori. "Solos and melody parts are at the heart of this instrument. You won't be bored with this. There are five of us in this section and we're partners and team players. We hope you join us."

"Okay, next section?" asked Haruka as Kaori left to join her group. Reina looked on, intent on joining the trumpet section as it was set in stone from the start. The trombone section was next, followed by the woodwinds, then the flutes and oboes, and percussion, and then Haruka with the saxophones. The members were starting to determine their instruments and the band was taking shape. Meanwhile, the Trojans were looking at notations from future arrangements done independently that were subject to review from Noboru Taki when he arrived the next day.

Finally, it was the bass's turn. "Next section, Asuka," Haruka said.

"All right, my turn! I am Asuka Tanaka, third year student, bass section leader, club vice president and the comic relief of the Best Damn Band in the Land of the Rising Sun," Asuka said. "I play the euph."

"UFO?" asked a random first-year.

"That's the name of the instrument, I think," replied another.

"No, that's uniform," Hazuki told them.

"Euphonium, get a clue, guys!" Kumiko said, disappointed. The Trojans were snickering, exchanging fist bumps.

"We haven't even started and we're having some fun now," Heiji whispered. "Good old Asuka-neechan, doing what she does best."

"Do not tell anyone that this was my former instrument, okay?" asked Kumiko to Hazuki.

"Got it. But why?"

"Switching to another instrument will be a breeze."

"Now the euphonium, for all you neophytes, is a B-flat variety with piston valves," said Asuka. "No one knows exactly when it was invented, but what I do I know; I'm not a Wikipedia user by nature; I know what I know! But what I know is this: it's thought that it's either based on an instrument called the sommerophone or that the pipes of a saxhorn family piston bass were-oof!" She received a light karate chop on the head from Haruka.

"Stop, that's enough," Haruka said. "How long are you gonna talk?" Asuka flashed a sheet. "Son of a...you're reading from a script!?" A script that Shinichi compiled a few days prior. With a smile, Asuka turned to him, who grinned. Ran scowled and shook her head and Haruka also laid a dirty look at the lonely boy going by Jimmy from Beverly Hills. Well, Shinichi wasn't lonely because he was seeing people, especially the one person who just dealt him a headbump. "For crying out loud, next section!" Haruka said, pointing to the next section leader.

Asuka protested. "Hey, I was only getting started, why are you in a rush, we got the room for the next few hours. The afternoon is yoooooooung!" Laughter all around and a rimshot effect from the Kansai fiend known as Heiji Hattori, the ultimate aniki.

"Tuba section leader, get over here and introduce yourself!"

"My name is Takuya Goto, and I'm a second year student and I play the tuba," Takuya said. "The tubas play the bass. We don't get a lot of melody parts and we play in the background." Riko Nagase, a fellow tuba player and good friend of Takuya, looked on. "And it's very heavy, so only the strongest in our band play this. Thank you."

"Is that it?" Haruka asked.

"Yes. Do you want to me to say anything else? What do you want me to say?"

"No, no, that's fine..."

"Wait a minute, Goto," Asuka said.

"Hmmm?"

"Did you forget? You have not told these newcomers and others the awesomeness of the tuba!"

"What? Really? Is that so?"

"So, I, Asuka Tanaka, will-owww!" Another karate chop.

"Quiet, quiet, I get the point, get back there."

"This is our band," Takuya said. "We're not boring people." More laughter.

"Well, the tuba is out of the question," Hazuki said with a sigh.

"Same here," Kumiko added with a nod.

"We also have an instrument called contrabass that plays bass," Haruka added. "No one is playing contrabass at this point, so the position is open. If anybody wants to..."

A hand was raised. "Ohhhh, we have one!" exclaimed Asuka. It was Sapphire. "Do you have experience playing the contrabass?" she asked her, coming is closer.

"At Seijo Girls' Academy I did, yes."

"Seijo!? THE Seijo Girls' Adademy?" Haruka exclaimed. "Incredible..."

"Hell yeah!" Asuka said, the three Trojans boys nodding Gunbuster-style.

"Seijo is one of heavyweights in our region?" asked Hazuki to Kumiko.

"A rich girl's school, yes," Kumiko said. "Their concert band is a heavyweight in this region."

"Very affluent people have graduated from that academy, many who have gone on to great things locally and abroad," Heiji said, reading from his dossier on his tablet. "Also, they are affiliated with Sakuragaoka Girls High School, a school located in the Chubu, whose light music club is world famous and created rock legends Hokago Tea Time."

"So you're playing this, right?" Asuka said to Sapphire, holding her hands.

"I've been waiting for those words," she whispered.

"I like you." She kissed her hands. "Ojou-sama."

Haruka was about to lose her mind. "Ugh..."

"I'll take her, she's mine," Asuka told Haruka.

"You're putting the horse before the carriage. Procedure dictates that we'd ask to see who wants to play first," she replied.

Kaito looked closer and saw a faint red string connect Sapphire's and Asuka's hands. "Really, Haruka, will that even matter?" he said to himself.

"I'll let it slide, though."

"Well done, Madame President."

"Hallelujah!" She embraced Sapphire, causing the rich girl to get slightly suffocated by her cleavage.

"I...can't...breathe..." she said.

"Are you not entertained, Midori-san?" Heiji wondered. "Is this not why you're here?"

"Come on, my baby...Contrabass-chan, you're all mine from this point forward. I'm gonna show you a good time and lift your spirit free because that's my calling card." She turned to Heiji "Ain't that right, Heiji?" she said through telekinesis.

"Kazuha has taught you well," he replied in kind, Kazuha delivering a smug look. "Good luck."

"Let's do it! One truth prevails!" Sapphire said, fists in the air. "I got a stiff upper lip and I shoot from the hip!"

"Okay, with that said," Haruka said with a few claps, "everyone, time to gather at your preferred instruments."

"I think I'll do the trumpet," said Hazuki to Kumiko and Sapphire.

Some of the aspiring newcomers were having difficulty figuring out the basics. "Ever played a recorder?" Haruka said as Shinichi was filming the scenes for archives in secret. "The fingering is similar to that."

"Hey, when you swtich from C to D, how do you hold it?" asked one first-year to the section lead.

"Well, I guess I will do the trombones," Kumiko concluded.

"All right, good luck," Sapphire said to her.

"This won't end well," said the Trojans to themselves, pointing to Shuichi Tsukamoto, already there.

"Aside from Sapphire-chan, no one wants to join my section," said Asuka through her tinted glasses in a hikkikomori voice.

"Oh, hi," Kumiko said to her.

"Aside from Sapphire-chan, no one wants to join my section."

"Bass section?" she asked. It was just Riko and Takuya, which Shinichi determined having a red string connecting them.

"Aside from Sapphire-chan..."

"Hey, hey, three times? You're not proving anything to me, you're just showing that you've been off the deep end since the day you were born!"

"Kumiko's right," Kaito said, pointing to Asuka's dossier details on his tablet to the Trojans, who continued to tune their instruments.

"Are you slow or something?" Asuka asked her. "I'm scouting your potential, hello! Are you awake yet, it's 3 p.m.!"

"You're scouting me."

"Yes, I am."

"Oh."

"Ahahahah, ahahahahah," Shinichi laughed before Ran punched him in the gut.

"Sorry, Mama, I was a bad boy!"

"You, my friend," Asuka said to Kumiko, "would look totally good playing a euphonium. It was meant to be with you. It is your destiny."

Kumiko closed her eyes. "How is it my destiny? Are you just trying to be cute?"

"You are a low-key person, in a good way, willing to be in the background and let the aces do their thing, while not being too much in the background because your relevance is unique in and of itself."

"I don't have a goddamn clue what you're telling me, what are you trying to say!?" exclaimed Kumiko, about to break down.

"Try the euphonium. Now. Don't delay. Go." Asuka deadpanned. "Right, Sapphire-chan?"

"Kaito, brother," Shinichi said to Kaito.

"Yeeeeees?"

"Popcorn." Kaito produced a tub of popcorn that the Trojans ate, passing around.

"I would be happier to have someone I know in bass," said Sapphire.

"See what I mean?" Asuka said. "Come on..."

"No, I said that I wanted to apply for the trombone. Because...I never played the euph..." Sapphire looked at her with surprise, while Kumiko winked at her, saying, "just play along!" She nodded.

Kumiko then turned to the Trojans, who had looks of disappointment with a few facepalms. The posse was coming close to taking her sanity away. "So if Kumiko hates liars, and Reina hates liars," Aoko asked via telekinesis..."why does Kumiko lie to herself?"

"Because Kumiko-logic, and it sucks," Kaito replied.

"Thank you."

"I believe that people should play what they want to play," Sapphire told Asuka.

"Whatever, I trusted you to be bae and you do this to me?" Asuka groaned. "Sapphire-chan, you broke my heart too many times today and it's not even night yet! You randy beast!"

Kumiko backtracked. "Okay, so, I shall take off..." She heard a noise. A nice melody was coming out from the trumpet section. Safe and Sound. Capital Cities.

The others turned to their respective sections. "So, this is a reed, and it's made of wood and you have to replace this occasionally," said one of the section leads.

"Okay, do not grip that thin metal part too much. There you go," said another.

As she finished, Reina paused for a bit, thinking about her own personal crossroads. "So, what do you think?" she asked Kaori.

"You're in," she said, Yuuko witnessing.

"We have a professional on our team," Haruka said. "Not often we say that. Although..." Haruka turned to the Trojans. "She's not the only one," she said in thought. Out loud, "Which junior high school did you attend?"

"Kita Middle School," Reina said to them. "Aside from the band, I also took private lessons and attended symposiums."

"Explains a lot, color me shocked."

"I appreciate the kind words, thank you."

"Will you look at that," Asuka said to Kumiko.

"Huh? What is?"

"Look at that kid with the tuba mouthpiece, what's going on?"

"Ugh, for the love of...looks like she thought she bought one for the trumpet,"

"Kind of small, y'all..." Hazuki told Kaori.

"You are absolutely right."

"What is this sorcery, both of you?" Asuka wondered to Kumiko and Sapphire.

"She used to be a tennis player back at her old school," Sapphire replied.

"Ohhhh?"

"You can do it, work on your blowing," Kaori said as Hazuki tried to play it. "You have to vibrate your lips."

"Oh God, this is taxing, I can't!" she replied, coming up for air, her face red as a tomato before trying some more.

"Looks like she's gonna have to do tuba work," Asuka said, stroking her chin. She cut a look at Shinichi, who nodded up and down. "She's got the lung capacity. Sapphire Kawashima."

"Yes, ma'am? But call me Midori from now on."

"Bring her over here. No trumpet needed for her."

"Copy, over!"

"So she's gonna do tuba work?"

"Well, we'll see if she's a fit, but it might work. Give it the ol' Kitauji try."

"And?"

"If she decides to play tuba, there is an absolute chance you're getting the euphonium," Asuka said with a wink.

"One truth prevails," Shinichi said, pulling out his own Conan glasses and wearing them. "She won't hide from it any longer."

"Put those away now!" Ran said, grabbing the frames and putting them away.

"Aaaaaaand...here she is!" Sapphire said.

"What's going on?" she asked. "I almost had a sound."

"Hoooooooooooooold on a minute," Asuka said. "You may not know this yet, but like a man and woman, an instrument and its player are bound by fate." Asuka turned to the Trojans, who flashed a collective thumbs-up, before she turned to Hazuki.

"Really?"

"And she's yet to know that she has her own," the Trojans collectively said to themselves, sighing.

Kumiko was not impressed. "That's a fake old wives' tale. I've never heard such a-"

"Oh shut up, you unbeliever! Listen to what I am saying right now!" Asuka said, preaching like a Baptist minister in the American Bible Belt. "Open up your eyes to the gods of music. By the mouthpiece you have chosen, by the grace of God the Almighty, the one you must fear, the one you must turn to in your time of need, you have picked your instrument. Your destiny is officially sealed! God willing!"

"Amen, testify, Sister Asuka!" Heiji hollered.

"Calm down," said Kazuha, laughing hesitantly.

"It may not be Sunday, but it feels like Sunday."

"Everyday is like Sunday?" Ran asked.

"I don't like Morrissey."

"Haters gonna hate."

"So, don't you think that would be nice...Sister Hazuki?" asked Asuka.

"We're not in church," Takuya thought to himself, already having a dim view of her indirect proselytizing.

"This?" asked Hazuki. "Are you serious?" She sparkled.

"But of course," Asuka said. "With that, stick that thing on one of the instruments here." She pointed to the three bass instruments.

First up was the contrabass. "A bit tight..." Hazuki said. Next was the other instrument, which looked like a modified saxophone. "Not a fit either." That left the tuba. Hazuki placed the mouthpiece inside. It was akin to opening a key to a lock or a foot to a shoe a la Cinderella. "This...this is...!"

Kaito snapped his fingers. On cue, wedding bells were ringing outside.

"That is your partner for life!" Asuka said dramatically. "Its name? None other than...Tuba-kun!"

Hazuki was in seventh heaven as the bells continued to ring. "Tuba-kun! The love of my life!"

"Tuba-kun! The legend is real!" Sapphire exclaimed, sparkling.

"Forever mine to eternity!" Kaito, on his guitar, played a few notes resembling an American college fight song called "Hail State" as in Mississippi State.

"Ah, this is all too much..." Kumiko said, sweating. She turned to Kaito, who elected to play an arrangement "Fight for LSU." She thought to herself. "I gotta get out of here, or there is no escape!" Then she said, "I'll go look elsewhere!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Asuka said. Shinichi, Heiji and Kaito looked at the watches and nodded to each other. It was only a matter of time.

Kumiko looked at the trombone. She admired the looks, but the question was, could she actually play it? "So you're in the concert band after all." Shuichi said to her.

"Shuichi, crap, it's you. Why are you here?" she groaned. "Aren't you a horn player? Are you trying to get close to me again?"

"Today, I'm switching things up, because I'm in high school, and I chose this on my own terms. Are you, Kumiko?"

"Whatever, I guess."

"Kumiko-chan, Shuichi-kun, hello," said a girl with green braids. Aoi Saitou.

"Hey there," Kumiko said.

"Been a while."

She realized. "Aoi-chan, hey there!"

"You noticed. How are you? You both enrolled here?"

Meanwhile, back where the Trojans were... "Hey, Kudou-kun?" asked Shiho over the phone.

"Need something?" Shinichi asked. "We're at the club meeting."

"I had just gathered some new information regarding Tsukamoto-kun."

"Huh? We thought he was a non-factor?"

"I'm sending you some more information and this might change the overall picture regarding the protection of the artifact. See you." Shiho sent the information to their tablets.

"So he becomes Person of Interest No. 5," Heiji said.

"The more the merrier," Shinichi said. "But for now..."

"Yeah, it's been a while, Aoi. Good to be here," Shuuichi said.

"Hey, do you know these folks?" Asuka asked Aoi, walking over.

"Kumiko Oumae and Shuichi Tsukamoto. They go way back, they are neighbors and I'm witness to all this," Aoi said with pride. "We used to hang out together in elementary school."

"Tsukamoto's residence is not too far from our hotel," Heiji told the Trojans.

"Is that so?" Asuka asked the three of them.

"So it would be nice to have you in bass!" Aoi said. "Kumiko, you've been playing the euph since elementary school, right?"

Kumiko's face was aghast, as if to say, "Why the hell did you have to open your big fat mouth!? That wasn't part of the plan!"

"And what if it was?" Kaito asked her, approaching them.

"I knew it...there is no escape."

"Whoa," Asuka said. They all turned to the four of them. "Let's go have a little chat over there."

Kaito wrapped an arm around both of them. "Yeah, let's all go have a little chat over there. Because oh, oh, oh, you're Trojans in our heads!" The laughs were prevalent from ear to ear. Even Reina was chuckling.

"Whatever, I've lived long enough," Kumiko said, her thoughts of martyrdom making the air thicker than roux. The euphonium was waiting on a table.

* * *

"Okay, so, I think we can tell Shuuichi the new information, what do you think?" Ran asked the team as they left for the train.

"Not yet," Shinichi said, deep in thought. "We don't know for sure if this is true that the Red String of Fate is actually a phony between Kumiko and Reina to divert us from the real Red String. At this point, it's wise to have the assumption that they are the owners, along with Midori and Hazuki."

"Also, we haven't even analyzed the information from Shiho-neechan," Heiji said, "So we have to do that first."

"That our job, we gather facts and figures and sometimes new clues change the picture altogether," Kazuha said.

"This is getting exciting," Aoko added.

"Very, quite," Kaito replied.

"So I'm stuck with euphonium, thanks to your big mouth, Aoi-chan," Kumiko said, a look of defeat on her face.

"Don't put the blame on me, that's your responsibility. By the way, are these your other friends?" Aoi pointed to the six.

"Yep. Jimmy, Rachel, Harley, Kirsten, Kenton and Allison. All are from America."

"Ohhh. Hello there," Aoi said. "Pleasure to meet you. Aoi Saitou, a good friend of Kumiko Oumae and Shuichi Tsukamoto. To be honest, you look like really famous people who live in this country..."

"We're actually fans," Shinichi said. "But we are students studying here for the next few years."

"I'm glad to meet you folks. You boys...look cute..."

"Aoi-san, we appreciate yer hospitality and yer kind words, we're tickled pink," Harley said.

"You used to be at Kita High School before, right?" asked Kumiko.

"Who knows. I wanted to be at Horiyama High but I ended up at Kitauji. Circumstances change."

"Unfortunate." The Trojans were taking notes as they looked up Aoi's dossier on their tablets. "I just realized something, you're my sempai. I need to call you Aoi-sempai, I'm sorry."

"Drop the formalities, we're close. But at school, go ahead and call me Aoi-sempai."

"Okay."

"And we'll call you Aoi-san," said Heiji. "Fine?"

"Sure."

"You're a tenor saxophonist, right?" asked Kumiko.

"Yep. But it's not because I want to. It comes from within."

"Hmmmm..."

"This is where I have to go, I gotta go to cram school, I'll see you later."

"See you tomorrow," Kumiko said to her.

"Good luck," Shinichi added.

"Cram school," Heiji said to the Trojans. "Try having to do that AND solve tons of cases around the world. Aoi-san has no idea what we've been through."

"Neither has Kumiko-chan or the others, but I bet she's read all about it," Ran said.

"Jeez, who hasn't?" Shinichi replied. The Trojans all had a laugh.

"What are you laughing about?" Kumiko asked blinking.

"Nothing, nothing," said Kaito, the team regaining their composure before running for the hotel. "We'll see you later!"

Kumiko looked on, pouting. "Sigh...Americans..."

* * *

"Let's do something different," said Kaito to the band members the next day. "Allow the power of magic to move these desks and arrange them in a manner that will allow for massive productivity, for at the heart of every sound organization is a desire for better productivity."

"OOOOOOOHHHHH!" the band said as Kaito magically moved desks with minimal effort and eventually arranged the room for performance purposes singlehandely.

"You're awesome!" said one band member.

"Nah, he does this every day," Shinichi said. "Right Kenton?"

"Jimmy knows. And afterwards, I will proceed to have everything back the way it was."

"Can we call you Magic Man?" asked another first year band member.

"No, that's the name of a band from the northeast of America. Notable songs include 'Tonight,' 'Nova Scotia' and 'Texas.'"

"At Seijo, we already had a concert hall dedicated to practice use," said Sapphire, the Trojans noting that. "So this is new."

"Hashtag #RichKidSchoolProblems," Hazuki said.

Kumiko accidentally bumped into Reina by chance. Kumiko had a look of shock, as did Reina herself. "Good afternoon, Re-i-na," Shinichi said, grinning. Kaito tossing a deck of cards in the background. "How is our trumpet pro doing?"

"Nothing too remarkable as of yet, Kudou-san," Reina said, "but...excuse me, can you move? I have to move this big fish bowl."

"Ahhhh! Fish! AHHHHHHH!" Kaito grabbed his cards and disappeared to another part of the room.

"He's scared of it?"

"Yes, Kenton hates fish."

"Hey, Kousaka-san, hold on for a bit!" Hazuki called out.

"No, no, no, don't do it!" Kumiko exclaimed. flailing.

"What are you talking about?"

"Hey, are you guys ready?" asked a man, opening the door. "You all right?"

"Sorry, we're okay!" Hazuki and Kumiko said, standing up and bowing.

"Good afternoon, I am Noboru Taki, your club advisor. Nice to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet you."

Noboru turned to the Trojans. "Hello to the six of you," he said through telekinesis. "Shinichi, Ran, Heiji, Kazuha, Kaito and Aoko, Japan's finest. An honor to meet you and work with you." They bowed as well.

"Occhan," Heiji replied. "A pleasure to meet you. You know our history and the background details, let's work hard to solve this case."

A nod. "Right."

"He's got the looks, doesn't he?" Hazuki told Kumiko and Sapphire.

"You think?" Kumiko wondered.

"So, according to my head count, there are 22 new members and six special members from America on exchange with their own instruments...as well as some drafts of arrangements, which actually look quite impressive," Noboru said. "Maybe a bit too impressive?" he asked Shinichi via telekinesis.

"Make us your assistants with the compositions, let's team up," Shinichi replied.

Noboru nodded. He figured that was part of the deal. "The missing instruments can be filled," he said to the band.

"We have a student, first-year, that used to play contrabass at Seijo," Haruka reported.

"Good to hear. So now that we are underway, I have some important information to tell you. Over the years," Noboru said, writing on the blackboard, "I develop my own philosophy: all students must value the importance of taking the initiative. You are responsible for what you do and you must be accountable, so long as I am your advisor. For the next several months, here is the plan: set a goal for this year. According to what I have been told, as well as your history, your goal last year was to take part in the Nationals, correct?"

They were shocked, they stood still. Kumiko was reminded of what happened then. "Well, we do try," said one third-year student. Reina looked on, also wondering.

"Teacher, that isn't as much a goal as it is a slogan," Haruka said.

Noboru nodded. "Noted. Let's change things a bit then." He crossed out the word "Nationals." "So now, it's time for you to decide, ladies and gentlemen," he said, understanding that he was being filmed by Shinichi. "Whatever you choose is what I will do as well."

"Decide?" Haruka asked.

"Correct. If you are going to go for the Nationals, your practices will be much harder and more intense, and I believed that in the past, this school was know for its intensity and drive for success. Sacrifices will need to be made, tears and blood will be shed, but what you will do will not have been done in vain. On the other hand, if you want to play for the sake of playing and make good memories, we can go the other direction. Either way is fine, but it's your call. Jimmy, speak."

"Well, everyone," Shinichi said. "You are now at an official crossroads. You have choices to make: to compete for the sake of competing and simply perform, or rise and make this school relevant in the overall picture because this program has been on the decline but has been successful in years past. If I were you, we become a band on a mission, ready to return to prominence stronger than ever and bring glory to Uji City and Kyoto Prefecture, a prefecture known for tradition and for winning. Nobody likes to lose. No one want to be near a loser. If you have a fire burning in your heart, if you feel like fate is on your side, you will make it a priority to do what this school has always done for decades regarding this historic program: to not only compete in Nationals, but to WIN it. Teacher, over to you!"

"Thank you," Noboru said as Shinichi went back to his post. "Well, what will it be? Decide for yourselves."

"Decide for ourselves?" Haruka was at her own crossroads.

"I believe that's what I said."

Haruka turned to the band, and then to Asuka. "What do I do here, help me Sister Asuka!"

"All right. I'll keep a record," she replied. "Let's do a vote."

"A vote!? Are you...are you...are you crazy?"

"Trust me, we need the band to decide. This is how we're going to do it. Right, Teacher?"

"Fire away," Noboru said. "You determine your own happiness."

"Told ya," Asuka told Haruka.

"Do what you want. Okay, let's take a vote."

Kumiko was on the spit. "Damnit, what the hell am I gonna do here?"

"Okay, so first, who wants to make competing in the Nationals their priority for the year?" asked Haruka. The hands were raised. Kumiko remembered that fateful night when Reina's heart was broken. Reina's hand was raised to the sky. She knew that this was it. Asuka counted a significant number. "Okay, so who thinks we don't need to compete for the Nationals?" Haruka asked. Kumiko couldn't make a vote.

Aoi Saitou was the only person that voted against it. She voted against Nationals because her mission was to make it to a good university and competing would be a distraction. And also, her old school never made this a priority, so this was an absolute shock to her. "Can't blame her, she has her priorties," Shinichi told Heiji.

"If we told her who we really are, and how we plan to help this band do you think her opinion would change?"

"It wouldn't matter, it's been decided."

"So based on our vote, we're all gonna work towards qualifying for the nationals," Haruka said. She turned to Shinichi, who nodded as if to say, "Good choice and good luck."

"Thank you very much," Noboru said. "There may have been some opposition, but the choice you made is the choice you made. So I will do everything in my power to help you achieve you goal, but in the end, it all comes down to you. That's all you need to know. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" said one.

"Hey everyone, don't just stand there, give me an answer."

"Yes, sir!" said a few more.

"I'm gonna say it one more time, Do you understand?"

"YES, SIR!"

"Understood, Trojans?" he asked to the six softly.

"YES, SIR!" they said.

"We got your back, Teacher, because you're working with us," Shinichi proclaimed, flashing his trademark smile. "The Best Damn Band In The Land of the Rising Sun! What is your profession?"

"Arrooomph! Arrooomph! Arrooomph!" said the students.

"Teacher."

"Okay, love the energy. Well, that takes care of things, dismissed." As the students left, leaving the Trojans, Noboru looked at Shinichi and said. "Let's take a look at your compositions for a bit. You seem to be advanced for a bunch of first year college students."

"Kaito here is very good at writing music," Shinichi said. "He's very skilled, can do a lot of things but you already know his flaws."

"Fish, ice skating and billiards."

"Correct. But he knows how to write pieces and arrange other songs, so guys, let's see what he thinks..."

* * *

"You abstained," said Sapphire to Kumiko as she and Hazuki went down the road, passing by farmland

"Not really."

"You sure?" Hazuki asked.

"What happened?" asked Sapphire.

"Situations like this do not apply to me. I consider myself a conscientous objector. What about you?"

"Situations?" asked Hazuki. "No, I think we're at a point in our lives where coming of age is inevitable and you need to make choices and deal with the consequences. That's life, IIRC."

"Choosing if we want to go for the Nationals or to enjoy. Can't we have both? To me, working hard along any journey is only winning half the battle, you have to enjoy the journey, because it's a journey and journeys are long and take time."

"So that's why you didn't raise your hand," Sapphire concluded. "None of the choices satisfied you. I thought you didn't raise your hand at all because of Kousaka-san and your rift with her. If you raised your hand with Kousaka-san, it might lead to further complications."

"Yeah..."

"But what if I told you that there are some people, I'm not gonna say who, that are working with us and are moving heaven and earth to get you and Kousaka-san back together so that you can reconcile and work towards achieving that dream of being in Tokyo to take part in the Nationals and maybe even winning it?"

"Are you making this up?"

"What if I wasn't?" Kumiko was deep in thought. The Trojans would take a later train to the hotel as they had to review arrangements, but Sapphire wasn't off in her deductions.

* * *

"I hate myself! I hate everything! Why should I blame the people voting, why, why, why, the vote wasn't even close!" Kumiko wailed, screaming to the heavens on the bench overlooking the water. "Midori-chan a psychic. Kousaka-san was going to kill me." Crouched in a fetal position in fear, Kumiko's heart sank like a stone. "I can't believe it's gone this far, me holding out."

The sun continued to set. A voice. "Kumiko-chan?" She turned around. It was Aoi. "The people we were with the other day tipped me off and I found you here."

* * *

"Now I get what's going on," Aoi said, Kumiko picking some shurbs. "Actually, those Americans, they actually told me the details as we boarded the train. So what you told me isn't really anything new."

"Really, I know for a fact that what I said wasn't a lie. She hates liars, I hate liars, we hate lies, what do you expect me to do?" Kumiko asked her. "I should only apologize to her if I didn't tell her the truth."

"Hmmmm.."

"Then I don't want this to bother me at all, and yet, boom, it does because her reaction has made me lose sleep at night."

"So you want to tell her that you weren't wrong, right?" Kumiko turned around. "That's gotta be it."

"Maybe it is..." She opened a split pea and watched the kernels drop to the ground. Then she blew her mouthpiece.

"A sound, there you go."

"As a concert band member, that's the minimum," Kumiko explained, the afternoon light shining. "Not like you really need to know that, but still..."

"You know what you know," said Aoi, with her emerald braids, blue hairclips and cool emerald eyes. "And I know how you feel. I told this to the Trojans as we left the train: at my old school, Nationals were a priority because they were written down last year and the year before that. And no one seemed to care about it."

"Tell me about it..." But this place is different. If I asked, like you were doing, you'd have to raise your hand for Nationals, right?"

"Of course."

"Things get complicated nowadays. Everyone has to make choices. To determine fate, to determine destiny. Adults don't really have clue of what we're going through."

"And what about the person who didn't raise her hand?" Aoi asked. "Don't you think she's the most unfair?"

"Aoi-chan..."

"You can't live at a crossroads forever. You have to choose yourself. Not making a choice is making the worst choice. I made mine's. It wasn't the most popular but I least I made a choice, because a choice is better than none."

"Good points, but...how do you come up with these good points?"

"Two of the people I was with, Jimmy and Kenton, they told me some interesting philosophical quotes. They're pretty smart for first-years, possibly too smart. Do you think they are actually...?"

Kumiko froze. Those people could not have been...the stars of Detective Conan, right!? "What are you implying?"

"Never mind, dismiss that. They're just smart people, and Kitauji needs students like that. Anyway," said Aoi, "maybe you really didn't have a choice when all was said and done. Everyone hides what they really feel these days and decide to take the easy way out because they can't handle the pressure of life. The school, the band, the teacher, the students, everyone. Life is difficult in Japan. It's not easy being in a country like this because life is hard."

"Do you know why?" asked Kumiko as she and Aoi chewed on some hayseeds, watching the river flow deep. They wouldn't hold it back.

"I told you why. We'd be butting heads. We'd be butting heads, hurting each other, burning bridges, making things worse than they really need to be."

"Aoi-chan?"

"If I wasn't telling you this, I would be lying."

"So then did you raise your hand when we were asked the question: do we want to go for the Nationals?"

"In the end, I was lying after all on those grounds. Guilty as charged. An alibi."

"Alibi?"

"And that's all you need to know. It's getting late. I gotta be on my way." She tossed the hayseed and took off. "Be careful out there."

"Why?"

"Three years pass in a hurry. Situations change. And according to what the...Trojans told me...there may be hope for a miracle regarding you and someone you know. Don't give up because that person won't either. You're a student at Kitauji, where the dream begins."

Kumiko remembered those words as Aoi walked away. She slowly deciphered the meaning to the possibility of a miracle. What miracle? She wouldn't know for a while. The next day. Reina was in the washroom and the Trojans were wiretapping what was about to happen, although they were playing cards, and Shinichi was doing the dealing.

"Kumiko-chan, this is it, you gotta do it," Sapphire said.

Kumiko went over to Reina, trying to cover her face, but she could only laugh.

"Is there a problem?" Reina asked her.

"Not really..."

"Are you still playing euph in high school?"

"I am."

"All right." Back at 1-3, there were handshakes all around.

Later that day, the Trojans were in the music room with the band, studying the adjusted arrangements and recording lectures. Reina looked on then turned to Kumiko, who turned to Noboru, who opened the door. "Time to begin practice, everyone. Here we go," he said.

Noboru turned to Shinichi, who turned to an invisible camera, the band turning to him. "And the next piece begins, because you're all Trojans in my head," he whispered. The others next to him sighed and smiled.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER 3**


	4. Take A Picture You Could Never Recreate

**Trojans**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Take A Picture You Could Never Recreate**

* * *

Early one morning, as Ran Mouri was sleeping in her underwear, Shinichi Kudou, donning a morning coat and boxers was donning his glasses and playing a few notes to a James Bay song before stumming soulfully. A flock of doves were flying outside into the sky. "Lonely water, lonely water, won't you let us wander, let us hold each other...hold back the river let me look in your eyes, hold back the river so I stop for a minute and be by your side, hold back the river, hold back..."

"Ehhh, Shinichi, you're a bit loud," Ran said, pouting as she turned over and caressed her lover's back. "Reina-chan been starting at you for a bit now, does she have a clue that we're together? Do you know why she persists?"

"She believes that one of the ways to stand out is to steal a lover from someone that loves him or her. She's read a lot of romance novels, in addition to playing her trumpet and fantasizes living the dream of experience heartbreak and triumph in a life-changing turnaround. She wants to be a special snowflake but at the cost of being a precious cinnamon roll."

"You're making me hungry, Shinichi. It's 5 a.m. Put away the guitar and come back to bed."

"Persistent," he said, putting away the instrument. "But that's why I like you. I also noticed," said Shinichi, pleasuring's Ran ass and breasts while showering kisses, "that Raina seems to have a fondness for Mr. Taki. He's twice her age and making love to her might jeopardize our mission, at least from a legal standpoint."

"I would be shocked if Taki-san had a penchant for some of the girls in the band. He would be more wise building something with Ms. Matsumoto."

"Mmmmm. Then there is the matter of Kumiko and Shuuichi. We're getting information that the Red String purported to link the four girls might be a decoy to throw us off or could be a precursor to the geniune article that is still hidden."

"This case gets better and better as it goes along but first," Ran purred, "I want you to dig into my body. Because I'm hungry for yours."

"So soft, like a cinnamon roll," Shinichi whispered to Ran's tender ears as the two of them consummated underneath the sheets.

* * *

Shuuichi Tsukamoto, despite being told that he didn't have a chance, had reason to believe that there was a mistake. Every day, he wanted to tell himself, "I need to win her back because I already did the time, I paid my dues, she needs to liberate me! I never backed down from a challenge,,,what Conan and his people are telling me is wrong because they were given wrong information, I know it! Because I believe in miracles!"

He had thoughts of him making love with Kumiko in her band uniform, tasting her armpits, licking her arms, undressing her and finally sowing the seed and knocking her up on the first try. He was hoping that the team confirmed what he was thinking. That would be a start. A piano melody played in the background and he decided to sing.

 _"What would I do without your smart mouth?_

 _Drawing me in, and you kicking me out_

 _You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down_

 _What's going on in that beautiful mind_

 _I'm on your magical mystery ride_

 _And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright_

 _My head's under water_

 _But I'm breathing fine_

 _You're crazy and I'm out of my mind_

 _'Cause all of me_

 _Loves all of you_

 _Love your curves and all your edges_

 _All your perfect imperfections_

 _Give your all to me_

 _I'll give my all to you_

 _You're my end and my beginning_

 _Even when I lose I'm winning_

 _'Cause I give you all of me_

 _And you give me all of you, oh oh_

 _How many times do I have to tell you_

 _Even when you're crying you're beautiful too_

 _The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood_

 _You're my downfall, you're my muse_

 _My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues_

 _I can't stop singing, it's ringing, in my head for you_

 _My head's under water_

 _But I'm breathing fine_

 _You're crazy and I'm out of my mind_

 _'Cause all of me_

 _Loves all of you_

 _Love your curves and all your edges_

 _All your perfect imperfections_

 _Give your all to me_

 _I'll give my all to you_

 _You're my end and my beginning_

 _Even when I lose I'm winning_

 _'Cause I give you all of me_

 _And you give me all of you, oh oh_

 _Give me all of you_

 _Cards on the table, we're both showing hearts_

 _Risking it all, though it's hard_

 _'Cause all of me_

 _Loves all of you_

 _Love your curves and all your edges_

 _All your perfect imperfections_

 _Give your all to me_

 _I'll give my all to you_

 _You're my end and my beginning_

 _Even when I lose I'm winning_

 _'Cause I give you all of me_

 _And you give me all of you_

 _I give you all of me_

 _And you give me all of you, oh oh..."_

Shuuichi turned around and flailed for a bit. "R-R-R-R-Ran!?" He exclaimed. Next to ran was Shinichi, holding a smartphone. "How did you two get here, it's just supposed to be me!"

"It's morning and I decided to do a little piano playing, Tsukamoto-kun," Ran said.

"Do you really love her?" Shinichi asked Shuuichi. "Kumiko?"

"I have to win her back, I know that you know that you got it all wrong this time."

"I have good news."

"What?"

"You may be right." Shuuichi's eyes glowed. "Based on some new information that was given to me, you have a chance at finally winning her back but for now, you need to treat her like your sister. Take it slow because a lot still hands in the balance."

"I knew it. Your guess was as good as mine."

"You seem to be on it ahead of us. For this, we shall refer to you as Person of Interest No. 5."

* * *

"Hmmm?" Hazuki Katou noticed on a table inside Class 1-3 an unattended bag with a tablet on top. "Someone left it here." She looked at the label. "Harley...Hartwell. Must belong to him. Hmmm?" She noticed a play button. "I guess I will play this see what this is." The video was a recording of Mr. Noboru Taki filing the rock ensemble of the concert band doing a cover of a song from Switzerland called 'Unbreakable.' A few noted. "These guys are good..."

"To whoever is playing this clip by chance," Heiji said while the camera was on him in the clip, "this song is for you." He was on lead vocals, while Shinichi and Kaito were on backing vocals.

"Oh my," Hazuki said, giggling. "Oh, Harley-kun..."

 _"You can do everything you want_

 _It doesn't matter how hard it is_

 _You can do it, you can do it_

 _So please don't mind, close your eyes_

 _Take a trip outside your head_

 _You can give me more_

 _Swim against the stream_

 _Following your wildest dream, your wildest dream_

 _Swim against the stream_

 _Following your wildest dream, your wildest dream_

 _Swim against the stream_

 _Following your wildest dream, your wildest dream_

 _Unbreakable, unbreakable_

 _Unbreakable, unbreakable_

 _Don't stop rock, rock this place_

 _Don't stop tryin', try your best_

 _Don't stop, don't stop movin'_

 _Today, without a doubt, a good vibe is in the crowd_

 _You can do it, you can do it, you can do it_

 _Unbreakable, unbreakable_

 _You can give me more_

 _Swim against the stream_

 _Following your wildest dream, your wildest dream_

 _Swim against the stream_

 _Following your wildest dream, your wildest dream_

 _Swim against the stream_

 _Following your wildest dream, your wildest dream_

 _Unbreakable, unbreakable_

 _So please don't mind, close your eyes_

 _Take a trip outside your head_

 _Unbreakable, unbreakable_

 _Unbreakable, unbreakable_

 _You can give me more_

 _Swim against the stream_

 _Following your wildest dream, your wildest dream_

 _Swim against the stream_

 _Following your wildest dream, your wildest dream_

 _(You can give me more)_

 _Swim against the stream_

 _Following your wildest dream, your wildest dream_

 _(Unbreakable) Swim against the stream_

 _Following your wildest dream, your wildest dream_

 _Unbreakable!"_

"Ugh, get away from me ladies, I can't breathe! Kirsten, help a lo-er, brother out, aaaghhhh!" shouted Heiji in the hall outside as the other first-year girls in the band asked him questions and went so far as to treat him like a dakimakura, forcing Kazuha to be in a comedic tug of war.

Hazuki looked on, scratching her head, confused. "Such a silly playboy. Are all people in Texas like that?"

* * *

"But I have big plans for the concert band," said Shinichi with the Trojans, Asuka, Haruka Ogasawara and Kaori Nakaseko later that afternoon after their practice. "Does this school have a football team?"

"Yes, but they are average at best, their team name is called the Spirit," said Haruka. "They also go by Kita and the K's."

"We have arrangements of a couple of fight song drafts that could be used when the band performs at sporting events," Kaito said, showing notes and lyrics. "They are in English and Japanese, with the meaning loosely the same. Shinichi here penned the words, I did the melody as well as Heiji."

"Mmmm," Noboru said.

"Oooh, I know this, this is actually borrowed from the fight songs for Penn and Dartmouth of the Ivy League, the really smart universities!" Haruka exclaimed.

"I was raised in the fight music of the Ivy League, the Big Ten, the Pac-12, the SEC and ACC and Big 12 schools, bands with musical tradition," Shinichi said. "I have archives of every university fight song in America at the NCAA Division I level."

"So this fight song," Asuka said, "is called in English, 'As The K's Go Tearing By."' Noboru took the main melody and played in piano to try it out.

 _"Kita! Uji! TEAM!_

 _As the K's Go Tearing By_

 _On The Way To Do Or Die,_

 _Many Sighs And Many Tears_

 _Mingle With The Kyoto Cheers_

 _As The K's Go Tearing By._

 _Making Gain On Steady Gain,_

 _We Will Sing This Sweet Refrain:_

 _Kita's Sure To Win Today,_

 _Kitauji All The Way_

 _As The K's Go Tearing By!"_

"Wooooooh!" Asuka and Haruka said, applauding at Shinichi's singing.

"Amazing, that was beautiful," Haruka cried, brushing away a tear.

"You should have been in our glee club instead, you got a great voice, Detective!" Asuka added.

"Don't mention it," Shinichi said in a deep ikemen voice.

"Well, he's not a very good singer but he's got perfect pitch," Ran noted, causing a boulder to fall on him.

"HIIEEEEEI!"

Asuka rubbed her chin. "Mmmm..."

"So then, let's take a look at this other song, called 'Fight On, Kitauji,'" said Noboru, playing some notes before Shinichi sang.

 _"Fight, fight, fight, Kitauji!_

 _Fight on, KItauji, put that ball across the line._

 _Pride of Uji City, here we go for more this time._

 _We are always with you, we are with you till the end!_

 _So fight, fight, fight, Kitauji, fight on and win!_

 _Fight, fight, fight, Kitauji!_

 _You've got to fight on, KItauji, put that ball across the line._

 _Pride of Uji City, here we go for more this time._

 _We are always with you, we are with you till the end!_

 _So fight, fight, fight, Kitauji,_

 _Fight on, fight on and win!"_

"That's our song right there," Asuka said. "Our angel wings! And the first one can be our secondary song or victory song."

"We need to make copies of that and have the student body approve it, as well as the band and headmaster," Haruka added.

"Shinichi, please?" Noboru said to him.

The thinking pose, and then a dramatic turn. "Do it."

"YEAH!" Asuka and Haruka said, rejoicing and hugging each other.

"At long last, some school spirit will be brought to this band and this place besides just the same old, same old," said Heiji. "About time."

"Maybe this football team will finally win the Christmas Bowl and start up a dynasty," added Kaito.

"In the state of Texas, high school bands and high school football go hand in hand, and every good high school in the state has both with exceptional quality," said Heiji, showing to the others a montage on the HDTV other famous programs in America in action to the tune of "Noble Men Of Kyle." "Indeed, occhan, the Southern United States—no, all of America, for that matter—is full of gridiron tradition, Power. Grace. Grit. Glory. Blood. Sweat. Tears. Triumph. Heroes. LEGENDS."

"With the Kansai being the Japanese equivalent of the Southern U.S., this school can follow the footsteps of local collegiate giants Ritsumeikan and Kwansei Gakuin," Shinichi said. "As long as we get a good coach that will bring the right intensity, players and system, it is the expectation that we'll be a football power as well as a musical power for years to come."

"Sold, American," Noboru said. "I shall make these suggestions, and I expect that the wheels will be set in motion."

As the discussions continued, Shinichi watched from a distance Kumiko, Hazuki and Sapphire leave the school, with Reina leaving by another way. He knew that both Kumiko and Reina were working on building rapport but the situation was still tense. At least the ice was starting to thaw.

* * *

 **END CHAPTER 4**

A/N: As this is Sound! Euphonium from the perspective of Detective Conan, there will be small bits here and there alongside the main story just to spice things up.


End file.
